09-05-2025
Letter: Council president race has big implications for Reading
The upcoming election for Reading City Council president has enormous implications. All the issues facing the city: crime, housing, economic development and others, have a direct impact on the well-being of the entire community. Council has sweeping authority to enact ordinances, set budgets and approve projects. As such, the council president plays a critical role in shaping policy that the mayor's administration is responsible for implementing. The position requires governing experience, maturity and a commitment to serve the city's diverse population.
Donna Reed has met these criteria and more. She deserves to be reelected council president. Her challengers are inexperienced and unqualified. Just last fall, one councilman embroiled council in a foreign affairs matter, introducing a pro-Hamas, anti-Israel resolution that had no relevance to the taxpayers of Reading. This proved to be a costly distraction and undermined the Greater Reading Unity Coalition's efforts to create harmony in a diverse community.
Conversely, Reed has focused on helping the residents of the city. During her tenure, we have seen the economic impact of Alvernia University's CollegeTowne campus, the strengthening of neighborhoods across the city and the spectacular expansion of FirstEnergy Stadium.
With this progress, Reading is poised for a renaissance, and Reed's continued leadership will be crucial to fulfilling this promise. A vibrant Reading is critical for the future of the region.
Sandra J. Fishman
Reading
