30-04-2025
Primary election 2025: 2 candidates seek Tilden Township seat
Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination to represent Tilden Township.
Incumbent Fred Herman is facing challenger Eron Stufflet in the May 20 primary contest.
Supervisors serve six-year terms.
We asked the candidates to respond to a question.
Question: Name a single problem facing the municipality you are running to represent and how you would address that issue if elected.
Fred Herman
Fred Herman
Occupation: Herman retired as a facility director of staff development and training for the state.
Age: 74.
Response: A serious problem facing not only Tilden Township but Berks County as a whole is the developing crisis in delivery of emergency medical services. This has been studied and well documented.
EMS agencies are faced with serious challenges with funding and staffing. This results in deleterious effects on response times and level of service and even closures. Funding problems are a result of revenue received from government and insurance sources covering only a fraction of actual costs. Subscriptions are offered by most, but participation rates are low. There are also individuals who abuse the system and pay nothing. Staffing difficulties are primarily a result of the relatively low level of compensation provided given the training, knowledge and responsibility required. Around-the-clock scheduling demands and burnout are also factors.
Ultimately, our township is responsible legally as well as morally for providing effective EMS services here. I support the dialogue begun with Hamburg EMS to determine their needs and assistance we can provide. I voted for the significant increase in funding for them in our current budget and will continue to encourage giving adequate financial assistance. This could take the form of municipalwide subscriptions, which would provide a benefit for our residents.
Eron Stufflet
Eron Stufflet
Occupation: Stufflet has worked at East Penn Manufacturing for the past 20 years.
Age: 43.
Response: Tilden Township's current problem is whether to let a new warehouse be constructed up to 50 feet high. The current height limit is 35 feet. A lot of folks spoke their peace at the last meeting and were not happy. Now it all comes down to if we spend taxpayers money to fight this or let it happen.
The last fight the township had cost the taxpayer $75,000 and they still lost. So to answer this I would have sent a simple card explaining everything to all 967 addresses asking if they want to fight or save our tax dollars.
