Meet the candidates for Slippery Rock mayor: Longo, Cook
As voters prepare for the Nov. 4 general election, two options will be available for Slippery Rock borough residents when it comes to the question who will become the next mayor.
Jondavid Longo, the current mayor who has served two terms, is being challenged by the chairman of the borough’s planning commission, Douglas Cook. Longo is running as the Republican candidate, and Cook as the Democratic candidate.
Slippery Rock borough’s mayoral position is a four-year term with an annual compensation of $1,200. Subscribers can read more.
Longo is seeking reelection for a third term as Slippery Rock’s mayor. He started serving as mayor in 2017.
He has also served on the borough’s planning commission, comprehensive plan committee and on the Slippery Rock Area Parks and Recreation’s board of representatives.
Longo, who has earned three degrees from Slippery Rock University, said he feels he has an obligation to borough families to help them prosper and be safe. He said during his first two terms, he has helped to make Slippery Rock a better place by helping it learn to love itself and its country.
Now that his ideal environment has been created, Longo said his focus on the next term would be to continue steering Slippery Rock in the right direction. He said he will focus on wooing families and attracting more economic development to the area.
He said it is important to have a leader who also serves as the face of the community.
Douglas Cook
Cook, who currently serves as the chairman of the borough’s planning commission, has previously worked across the nation, from Pennsylvania to Nebraska, as a municipal employee before retiring and moving back to Slippery Rock in 2020.
The Slippery Rock University alum said he decided to run because he has never been on the “other side of the table” when it comes to municipal government. He said he also wanted to give borough residents a second choice instead of leaving the mayoral race uncontested.
Cook said his vision of Slippery Rock should match the vision of its residents, and said he would encourage open communication to recognize, and eventually realize, that vision. One idea he suggested was hosting periodic town halls.
He also believes the comprehensive plan, which he helped create, will serve as a guide for the borough moving forward. He said the borough should feel no need to reinvent the wheel.
