CENTER TWP — Two incumbents and three challengers are vying for three township supervisor positions in this spring's Republican primary election.

Supervisor chairman Ed Latuska, Supervisor Phil Wulff and Tom Schiebel are all running for two six-year supervisors' positions and the one two-year supervisor's position.

Robert Sloan is running only for the two-year term and Don Pringle is running only for the six-year term.

Ed LastuskaLatuska is seeking a fourth term as supervisor. He is the longest-tenured supervisor with almost 18 years on the board. He works as a physical therapist.Latuska said keeping the tax rate low should be a priority for the supervisors.“The two biggest priorities are to make sure that our road system is well cared for and maintained and to make sure we are managing the taxpayers' money in a responsible way,” he said.He also said he would like to continue working on projects in the vicinity of the new VA Butler Healthcare facility on North Duffy Road including getting a Tax Increment Financing District set up and seeing the Route 422/Route 356 cloverleaf interchange in Butler Township finished with a potential connection to North Duffy.

Phil WulffWulff has been a lifelong resident of the township and is in his sixth year serving as a supervisor. He has also been a member of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department for 42 years.Wulff said he would like to keep taxes low.He said he would also like to see the supervisors continue their efforts to facilitate development of properties on North Duffy Road and to see the Route 422 cloverleaf finished.“Right now I think we need to get some new business into the township,” he said.

Don PringlePringle has lived in the township since 2001. He owns a logging business and sawmill in Smicksburg, Pa.Pringle said his 20 years of experience in agriculture and with roads would be valuable to the township.The supervisors have done a good job of maintaining the township's roads and handling development, though the mall is a concern, he said.“I see the loss of businesses in Clearview Mall and that worries me,” he said.Pringle also said he would like to see the township supervisors get involved with either initiating or organizing a drug awareness program for the community focused on providing education.

Tom SchiebelSchiebel is not a newcomer to township government: he served from 2006 to 2011 as a township supervisor before losing his bid for re-election. He is the current chairman of the township's planning commission and has also volunteered on the township's zoning hearing board.He formerly worked at a Magnetics plant though his job was outsourced to China. He currently works in maintenance for the Butler Country Club.Schiebel said he would like to see growth and development continue, though he questions some of the decisions the board made when handling the development of the new VA facility.“I don't think it was as transparent as it needed to be,” Schiebel said.,b>Robert SloanSloan also has experience with the township government, having served on the planning commission for 14 years.A resident of the township for nearly all of his life, he works as a medical electronics service engineer repairing blood analyzers.Sloan said he is in favor of new businesses and developments in the township, but would like to see them be managed in a way that avoids traffic or other problems developing.“I'd like to see the continued growth and expansion, but I don't want to see it turn into a New Castle Road,” he said.Supervisor Ken Frenchak decided not to run for reelection. Frenchak said he is in his eighth year serving as a supervisor and his 18th year serving in some capacity with the township government. He said he will still be volunteering as a resident on a comprehensive plan update committee that will get to work later this year.No Democratic candidates petitioned to appear on the primary ballot.The three winners will join supervisors Alan Smallwood and Ron Flatt on the board.