2 familiar faces seeking Tarentum mayor's office

Two residents familiar to Tarentum voters are seeking to be the borough’s mayor.

Councilwoman Carrie Fox is competing against Bob Lang, a retired borough police officer, for the four-year term.

“I will be a mayor that is more visible and available 24/7 to Tarentum,” said Fox, a member of council for six years.

Lang, who worked in the police department for 24 years, said he misses public service.

“When I retired, the need to serve didn’t go away,” he said.

The road to the Tarentum mayor’s office has been more like a roller coaster.

The Democratic primary was a three-way race among Fox, Lang and incumbent Eric Carter.

Lang lost in May to Fox, but he won the Republican nomination as a write-in.

Carter resigned the office in August, and council subsequently appointed Councilman Adam Blythe to serve as mayor until after the Nov. 2 election.

If Fox is elected, she said, she “will do what is necessary to protect the safety of the police officers and our citizens.

“I would like to see more of a community police presence so we can build a mutual respect.”

Fox said she would implement and maintain the borough’s participation in National Night Out, National Drug Take Back Day and Coffee Talks with the police to help bolster community relationships.

“I will continue to advocate for new and established businesses so that Tarentum can continue to grow and move toward the future,” Fox said.

She lauded council’s efforts on blight remediation, through which 48 properties have been razed.

Lang also said targeting rundown properties has boosted the overall economics and morale of the town.

“Tarentum is doing pretty good,” he said. “I want to work closely with council, management and the ordinance officer to see this continue.”

Since retiring, Lang said he can’t shake the need to be involved in the daily business of the borough.

“I miss serving the public,” he said. “What better way to serve than to get back into municipal government?”

Lang said his priority would be listening to the public’s ideas and concerns, with parking woes at the top of the list.

“I’ve also had people complain about their electric bills, and while I can’t do anything about that, I can advocate for the public and bring their concerns to council,” he said.

Lang said a goal of his would be to ramp up police patrols on all shifts.

“I was an avid patroller,” he said. “It deters crime.”

Fox said, if elected, a long-term goal would be a façade upgrade for West Tarentum’s commercial corridor.

“With the development of the Pittsburgh Brewing Co., the West Seventh Avenue traffic will increase,” she said.

“This area has potential for development. It is most rewarding to me to see these kinds of projects move in the right direction, but there is hard work to follow. I want to plant the seed and watch it grow.”