Candidates running for Old Forge mayor all have one common goal - repair the credibility of the Police Department after two officers were charged last year with having sex with a minor.
Two Democrats and two Republicans will battle in the upcoming primary for their respective party's nomination, though they all seem to be on the same page when it comes to what they want to accomplish if elected.
Republican Frank Scavo, 50, a former Old Forge school director, said trust and accountability inside local government is the biggest issue facing his town after the scandal.
In addition to running for mayor, Mr. Scavo is also running for a Republican nomination for Old Forge Borough Council.
Suspended Police Chief Larry Semenza and Capt. Jamie Krenitsky are both charged with sexually assaulting the same teenage girl around the same period of time in 2005. Both cases are pending in Lackawanna County Court.
"Moving forward, we have to have a strong individual that will be strong in Police Department affairs. That's where the accountability and trust comes in," Mr. Scavo said.
He wants to hire the best-trained professionals available and implement a more progressive discipline system to avoid any future incidents.
Republican candidate Joe "Gus" Gasdik, who called himself a longtime vocal member of the community, originally entered the race to speak his mind about issues in the borough, mainly the police force. Now that Mr. Scavo is running, he wants residents to vote for his opponent.
"Frank's a good man. People should vote for him," Mr. Gasdik said.
He is also running for a school board position.
Democrat Bob Legg said the litigation plaguing the Police Department is being handled now, but he looks forward to working closely with the department to clean up and prevent problems.
His main focus will be to establish a community center, which he said would boost local employment and give senior citizens and youth a space to congregate.
Mr. Legg, a teacher in the Old Forge School District for more than 30 years, said his ability to communicate with people will allow him to work well with other leaders in the community to create positive change.
"I've got a lot of life experience. A lot of people on council, those are former students and friends, people that I can get along with," Mr. Legg said.
Challenging him for the Democratic spot in the general election in November is Bob Mulkerin, who wants to modify the police force under the umbrella of public safety - the most important part of his campaign.
Mr. Mulkerin would like to ensure there is a police presence in and around Old Forge schools, as well as more visibility of law enforcement in high-crime areas of the borough.
However, his main goal is the same as his counterparts' - to work with the department and the public to repair the shattered image of the Police Department.
"Number one would be to rebuild the trust in the Police Department," Mr. Mulkerin said.
Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter
Frank Scavo
Age: 50
Family: Wife, Caren, children, Sarah, Frank IV
Education: Old Forge High School, 1980; associate degree in business management, Keystone College, 1993
Employment: General manager of Keystone Automotive for more than 20 years
Experience: Old Forge School Board, 2001-09, board member of Pennsylvania Right to Work since 2011.
Top issue: Trust and accountability in government
Joseph "Gus" Gasdik
Age: 77
Family: Wife, Barbara, children, Stephen and Monica
Education: West Scranton High School, 1954
Employment: Was a union painter until retiring
Experience: Campaigned to be a state representative
Issue: Improving the police force
Bob Legg
Age: 60
Family: Children, Robin, Kimberly, Amber
Education: Old Forge High School, 1970; Bloomsburg State College, 1975, Bachelor of Science in education and accounting
Employment: Teacher at Old Forge High School for 33 years, business education
Experience: Adjunct faculty member at Luzerne County Community College for more than 30 years
Issues: Community center
Bob Mulkerin
Age: 38
Family: Wife, Carla Cariati, children, Cierra and Colin
Education: Old Forge High School, 1992
Employment: Senior claims examiner at Prudential Retirement, eight years
Experience: Member of Lackawanna County family court team and treatment court team, group facilitator for Welfare-to-Work program and youth program at violence intervention center
Issues: Public safety