Published: October 23, 2009 08:36 am      

Two chasing one seat on Cambria Township board of supervisors

EBENSBURG — A political newcomer is staging a write-in challenge to veteran Cambria Township Supervisor Dave Hoover

Tim Bracken lost in the Democratic primary to Hoover, but he is still trying to unseat the incumbent, who has worked for the township for 39 years, 17 of them as supervisor.

A resident of Lute Road outside the village of Colver, Bracken has been fighting poor rural road conditions and noisy gas-well drillers for the past several years.

Bracken’s specific complaints about gas drillers prompted the company in question to pay for stone that the township applied to roads, but the supervisors have said that they repair roads as fast as they can while still staying within their budget.

Hoover argues that there are more issues than roads.

“There is much more to the position than in years gone by, and much more than anyone can imagine. Experience definitely is the answer,” he said.

Hoover said he is proud that the township has maintained a balanced budget and that the property tax rate has not increased in 17 years.

In the county seat, the sailing is smooth for the election.

Three of the seven members of Ebensburg Borough Council are seeking new terms, and all are unopposed in their bids for re-election.

Deborah Nesbella and Doug Tusing are Republicans and Terry Illig is a Democrat.