York Township incumbent challenged in GOP primary

May 05--A long-time incumbent York Township commissioner is being challenged in the May 19 Republican primary.

Robert Steele, president commissioner for the township, has served on the five-member board for 16 years. His challenger, Ron Fimiani, has never held political office.

Fimiani, 52, is a real estate agent who wants the township to plan for affordable senior housing, something it will need in the next 10 years, he said.

With land available for sale, Fimiani said builders and developers will likely go after it. "We need to try to make it desirable for affordable senior housing rather than single-family homes that increase our school's population," he said.

Steele, 71, is a mechanical engineer who has also served on the township's planning commission and as a representative for the York Area Regional Police Commission. He has helped manage long-term financial planning for the township's infrastructure improvements and also supported the township's Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, established in the township to support local business development.

With police protection constituting about 50 percent of the township's annual budget, the township needs to continue working with the police staff to control expenses, including the rising cost of health care, Steele said.

Land development through tax incentives would help the township collect more real estate taxes, Fimiani said, especially on properties in Clean and Green, the county's agriculture tax incentive program.

The township has kept its real estate taxes reasonable, Fimiani said, and he wants to continue to do so. Working with homeowners in the township, Fimiani said he hears a lot about people not feeling like they have a voice. "I think it's important that people are heard," he said.

Steele said he has supported recreation projects in the township, including Stump Park on Days Mill Road. He touted the township's financial success, noting it became free of debt in 2013 after paying down a municipal bond for sanitary sewer installation.

"I have dealt with business decisions that have represented the interests of the citizens of York Township'sThird Ward," Steele said.

Contact Mark Walters at 717-771-2032.

Name: Ron Fimiani

Age: 52

Party: Republican

Residence: York Township

Political experience: Never held office before. Sits on the political action committee for REALTORS Association of York and Adams Counties for five years.

Occupation: Licensed real estate agent for 28 years, works for Assist-2-Sell Keystone Buyers & Sellers Realty

Name: Robert D. Steele

Age: 71

Party: Republican

Residence: Holyoke Drive, York Township

Political experience: York Township commissioner for 16 years, township planning commission for 12 years, served as a representative for the York Area Regional Police Commission

Occupation: Licensed mechanical engineer

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