SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock Mayor Ron Fodor is fielding a primary election challenge from a young U.S. Marine Corps veteran who says he wants to make the position a more vocal advocate for the police department.

When Republicans in Slippery Rock cast their primary election ballots on May 16, they'll have to choose between Fodor, 64, a longtime public servant in the borough who is finishing his first term as mayor, and Jon David Longo, 26, a 2016 graduate of Slippery Rock University who works as the social media and public relations coordinator for North Country Brewing.

Fodor, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who has spend the last 35 years working as the conservation manager for Butler County, has been a fixture in borough government for more that two decades.

He first started serving on the borough's planning commission in the mid-1980s, and went on to serve on the municipality's Zoning Board, the Parks and Recreation board of directors, and on borough council before being elected mayor.

Fodor said he's running for a second term because, after 41 years of living in the borough, he understands the community and thinks he can help it grow.

“I love it,” he said. “I like people, and I really love living in Slippery Rock. I feel like I have something to contribute with my background. You try to be a role model.”

Being a role model is something Longo, a combat veteran who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2014 says he relishes as well. Longo is currently pursuing his master's degree in secondary education at SRU, and has volunteered with various veterans programs run by the American Legion, the Wounded Warriors Project, and the Beaver Area Jr. ROTC.

Longo said he was motivated to run for mayor after hearing residents voice concerns over issues like the borough's fiscal health, the drug epidemic, and whether enough resources are being given to the borough police department.

He said he wants to be a vocal and active mayor who acts as a “leader and advocate,” for the department.

“I consider myself a leader and want to lead the charge when it comes to addressing the concerns of my neighbors,” Longo said.

He also takes issue with recent tax increases, and said he's not convinced that projects like the borough's purchase of the former National Bank building in February are responsible.

“Many folks have told me they don't think we can afford that project. I would have to agree,” Longo said. “I'm not convinced that the heard-earned tax dollars ... are being used to everyone's best advantage or interest.”

Fodor agrees that the borough has problems to address — among them drug and alcohol abuse. But he said the municipality's weak mayor-strong council system relegates his office to a more ceremonial role than many people realize.

He thinks focusing on seasonal upkeep initiatives like replacing and maintaining sidewalks, community improvement projects like building a new public library, promoting the borough's police department and working with SRU as the school continues to grow its enrollment should be the mayor's top priorities.

Fodor pointed to his decades of community service as a hallmark of his experience and said he understands the borough in a way only longtime residents can.

“It takes a lot of years of volunteer work to understand these problems,” he said. “You need some experience ... and you do that by volunteering in a community and giving something back.”

Longo, for his part, said he believes he can help bridge the gap between older and younger generations in Slippery Rock, and encourage accountability and transparency in borough government.

“The mayor could be more vocal and truly serve as a voice and face for the community,” he said. “It's not just about holding a title and sitting on multiple boards. It takes more to truly be a leader.”