Meet the Lansdale Council Ward 3 Republican Candidates

With Council President Matt West not seeking re-election, and incumbent Ward Three Republican Dan Dunigan ousted in the Primary (although a write-in campaign has started for Dunigan), two new faces are seeking the Republican wins on Election Day for the two open ward seats.
Walter "Cory" Brown III and Pete Schmitt are the two Republicans vying for the seats against Democratic challengers and Friends of Lansdale endorsees Liz Troy and Leon Angelichio.
Brown has lived in Lansdale for 10 years and is married with two children. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering and works as a senior business analyst and program manager at Merck in the Live Viral and Vaccine Division. In his free time, Brown is a Lansdale Cubs' T-Ball coach and Nockamixon Sailing Club member.
Schmitt is an outdoorsman at heart, volunteering in the Pennsylvania state parks and belonging to the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited and Longwood Gardens. The Ivy League-educated Schmitt graduated from Cornell with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He has worked as a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Johnson & Johnson.
Brown said his strong background in project management and mathematics has poised him for the challenges and opportunities that comes with being a council member.
"I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most innovative, intelligent, and creative individuals in the world, and would like to utilize these experiences by helping my community.  Also, I have been responsible for the growth and development of this program during the economic recession and Merck’s research challenges," Brown said.
He said he has been able to leverage resources more completely and pull value from teams, while reducing spending.
"I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute to my community in any way that I am capable," Brown said.
Schmitt said his experience in working with major capital projects as an engineering consultant has awarded him years of problem-solving experience and working as a member of a team.
"This has also given me a lot of experience in interfacing with vendors, and reviewing vendor submitted documents/bids to work with both the vendors and their subcontractors in providing quality services to our customers," Schmitt said.
In his campaigning, Brown has found that most constituents find the current council to be "out of touch" with the people.
"The three main issues raised are nearly all related to spending and community benefit. These issues are the tearing down of Borough Hall, the continued financial outlay on the Performing Arts Center, and the ever evolving Madison Street parking lot," he said. "Recently there have been a few additional questions about how the Borough Manager can say the money for these projects is 'in the bank,' when the Borough still ends up $50,000 into the red."
Schmitt shared the same concerns.
"The public as a whole is not convinced a new facility is necessary, and certainly not with a $10 million price tag," Schmitt said.
Brown said there has been a lack of experience and leadership on council that has led it astray and it's time to redirect everyone.
"The Performing Arts Center should be sold; it has been a mistake for too long. If there is still time, the Madison Street project should be redirected toward building a parking garage and not an apartment complex. The Borough Hall and other facilities need to receive some past-due facility maintenance," Brown said. "We will focus on fixing, improving, and not knocking-down."
Schmitt also believed in an improvement in leadership and direction for council.
"Mayor Andy has proposed a deed restriction that would require the property to remain in use as a cafe/theater and allow potential purchasers to bid on it. I'm for that or merely offering the building for sale," Schmitt said.  "A performing arts center is not the best way to spend our taxpayer money."
Schmitt said the Madison lot development needs to move back toward the original proposal that required the parking garage.
"The fear myself and many other residents have is that we have given away our parking lot and will receive nothing in return. Our borough utility (electric and sewer) rates need to be re-examined to ensure that they are competitive and business friendly," Schmitt said. "We want to encourage people and businesses to move to Lansdale, not discourage them with high utility rates."