Voters on Nov. 5 will elect two Center Township supervisors from four candidates: Republicans Alan Smallwood and Lenny Young, and Democrats Andrew Erie and Thomas Posch.

The following are answers to three questions posed by the Butler Eagle.

QUESTION: Why are you running for election?

ERIE: I have been a supervisor for the past 12 years and I need to continue the work that is in progress by repairing and maintaining our roads, working with PA Water company to expand water lines to other parts of the township, and paying down our debt on the new maintenance building.

POSCH: As a retired union steamfitter I have the knowledge and experience in the gas drilling industry and water sewage plants and public drinking water systems and the BOCA code and local ordinances.

SMALLWOOD: No response.

YOUNG: No response.

QUESTION: What are your top 3 priorities if you win election?

ERIE: 1. I have been working with PA Water Company to lay water lines so the residents who never have the choice of tapping into city water can have clean cool water.

2. I have never voted to raise taxes and I never will. I worked to obtain refinancing on the maintenance building, saving taxpayers $53,000 per year. I want to move all personnel to the new maintenance building at a savings of $8,400 a year, and sell the office building and put the money toward paying the mortgage on the maintenance building, reducing our taxes by 1 mill.

3. Use $275,000 a year from liquid fuels tax money from the state to repair roads.

POSCH: 1. To make sure that the gas drilling Act 13 of 2012 is strictly enforced for the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Center Township;

2. To promote new businesses in Center Township, especially the VA project for local jobs;

3. To keep sewage and drinking water cost down and lower taxes for residents, especially for senior citizens.

SMALLWOOD: No response.

YOUNG: No response.

QUESTION: What part should local government play in overseeing natural gas drilling activity in the township, including how impact fee money should be spent?

ERIE: There is not much that local government can do except keep the drilling companies from drilling near schools or near where people get their drinking water, such as Oneida Valley Dam. The past two years the township got $50,000 from the state in impact fee money. We are going to use it to repair and maintain our roads.

POSCH: To make sure that Center Township gets money from gas drilling to pay for education, fire department projects, roads, sewage plants, public drinking water, keeping taxes low and to not interfere with residents’ property rights.

SMALLWOOD: No response.

YOUNG: No response.