Smith seeks full term on Jeannette Council

Democrat Ron Smith has been a Jeannette City Councilman since December 2014. He's seeking one of two seats open in Tuesday's election.

Smith, who has lived in Jeannette since 1969, was appointed to fill a council seat left vacant when Bill Bedont moved to Ohio last November.

Smith said he worked with the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), to bring beautification projects to the city, before he started thinking about city government.

“I've lived here a long time and I thought that I wanted to get involved in community development,” said Smith. “(Through the work with NPP) I found out there are a lot of good people out there and they want to do a lot of good things.”

Something he is proud of over his first 10 months in office is that he feels the city is moving in the right direction.

“There is a movement in this town right now that people are very interested in seeing this town going in the right direction,” said Smith.

He points to recent Jeannette Business Association (JBA) outreach, including the scarecrow contest displayed on Clay Avenue.

“A lot of people put a lot of time in (to their scarecrows). There are some new businesses coming to the avenue and it's getting brighter.”

Smith wants a full term in office, in part, because it fulfills a promise he made.

“When I interviewed for the position, they asked me if I would run for reelection. I said yes, I would. I kept my word,” Smith said. “I think one of the primary elements is to get the city to move forward to a greater degree.”

In terms of what he brings to the table, Smith points to his experience in working with the public.

“I talk to people, communicate with people. I am accessible.”

Smith said he feels the biggest issue in Jeannette is the financial situation.

“At one time, Jeannette was a very thriving community. And it's like a lot of other places, when the mills left, a lot of people left, too.”

Smith said he commends John Fetterman, the mayor of Braddock who is now running for the U.S. Senate.

“That man has really been a guy who has put a lot of time and effort into that community. He's doing a really great job.”

When it comes to handling Jeannette's finances, Smith said in some respects he is still learning what the best approach is.

“If you talk to certain individuals, their (idea) is to eliminate as much as you can. In some respects, it might be the avenue to pursue, but in other respects, it might not be the avenue to pursue.”

Smith said he wants to know more about each department's finances before he cuts anything.

“I want to see a specific accountability of what comes in and what goes out, pertaining to each phase of local government.”

In his opinion, Smith said one thing the city could do to make an improvement would be to eliminate the negativity that surrounds the city's reputation.

“People say, don't go to Jeannette, but Jeannette has a lot to offer and there are a lot of people who don't understand that.”

To the voters , Smith said, “I think I'm a fair and honest person.”

Kristie Linden is an editor for Trib Total Media.

She can be reached at klinden@tribweb.com or 724-838-5154.