Latest news with #SherryCapello
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sherry Capello projected to win Lebanon Mayoral primary
LEBANON, Pa. (WHTM) – Incumbent Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello appears to have won the Republican mayoral primary after facing a local business owner in Tuesday's election. With 100% of precincts reporting around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, Capello led business owner Damian Vargas with more than 73% of the vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Democrat Cesar Liriano ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, setting up a November general election rematch against Capello. In 2021, Capello defeated Liriano by more than 400 votes. Capello is currently serving her fourth term as Lebanon's Mayor after first being elected in 2009. Prior to becoming Mayor, Capello served as Palmyra Borough's Manager, a Chief Zoning Officer for Lebanon County, and the Assistant Director of the Derry Township Community Development Department. Capello was first sworn in as Lebanon City's 31st Mayor back on January 4, 2010. Capello highlighted her focuses as Mayor: Her first term focused on accountability to the people, her second on economic development, her third on economic and community development, and her fourth on continuing development initiatives. Capello earned an Associate of Arts degree in Marketing/Management from Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two candidates, one write-in vying on the Republican ticket for Lebanon city mayoral seat
Voters are weighing their choices as Incumbent Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello faces challenger Damian Vargas in the Republican primary on May 20. Also, after being removed from the ballot on March 21, cabinet designer Sharon Zook has organized a write-in campaign for the same primary. Cesar Liriano is the only candidate in the Democratic primary for Lebanon city mayor. The Lebanon Daily News asked the candidates to respond to four questions on a variety of topics, including the housing crisis and how to attract new businesses. These are their responses: Damian Vargas is a community organizer and owner of ARE and Be CAFE, located at 381 N. 8th St. Find more information about his campaign at the Damian Vargas for Mayor Facebook page. Vargas did not respond to questions from the Lebanon Daily News. Incumbent Sherry Capello is running for a fifth term as Lebanon city mayor. Residents can find more information about her campaign at What do you believe is the biggest problem facing the city and how would you address if reelected? I believe one of the biggest concerns we are facing is the housing shortage. However, this issue is not unique to Lebanon, as across the country and our commonwealth, communities are experiencing the problems of housing shortages. We actually have a variety of housing challenges and opportunities. We have been experiencing positive growth since 2010 and we project this trend will continue. However, there is limited availability of open space. It represents a challenge that we need to turn into an opportunity. What would be your goals/plans to address the housing shortage in Lebanon? We need to work in collaboration with our state legislators for direct funding and commercial property owners in order to offer various housing options on the second and third floors of their buildings. Currently, many of these floors in the downtown core are vacant and/or underutilized because it is not affordable for property owners to comply with the statewide building codes to address sprinklers and elevator requirements to convert the floors into residential units. This would be a win-win for our residents, property owners and downtown businesses. Residents would be able to find more affordable housing options within the City of Lebanon, property owners would benefit from tenants leasing currently vacant spaces and downtown business owners would see an uptick in foot traffic. What would you do to attract new businesses to the city? Revitalizing and rejuvenating a downtown community is a complex task. We want our downtown and other commercial districts to be a powerful economic, tourism and quality of life driver. To do this, we will need strategic planning so we can aim for success. We have laid the groundwork to recruit and retain by establishing fiscal stability in our government, completing vital projects for quality of life improvements and we have decreased serious crime and blight. Our next step is to continue with the improvements and also move forward with an analysis of existing businesses and then determine what key uses will represent an asset to the mix, not a detraction. These items will create more opportunities for continued investment in our city. If reelected, what would be your plans to revitalize the Lebanon community over the next four years? I am proud of what has been accomplished during my tenure in office. We are moving the city forward, but we have more work to do to continue this momentum. My vision to revitalize the Lebanon community over the next four years include but are not limited to… 1) ensure sustainable housing for ALL residents, and increase the number of affordable housing units to assist with workforce development concerns, 2) support additional investments in our downtown and other commercial districts and encourage appropriate specialty shops, restaurants and entertainment to ensure a vibrant and growing economy, and lastly, 3) continue to be accountable with the taxpayers' money with responsible financial oversight of our annual city budget. Zook is a designer and manager for the Snitz Creek Cabinet Shop. Residents can find more information about her campaign at What do you believe is the biggest problem facing the city, and how would you address it if elected? 'Bad' businesses — from the slumlords who exacerbate and create housing problems — impoverishing, destabilizing, and endangering the most vulnerable populations of the city, draining property equity and blighting neighborhoods — to the underworld businesses that distribute drugs and illegal guns to our kids — to the illicit massage businesses (IMBs) who are part of highly organized networks for trafficking, prostitution, tax evasion, and money laundering — to the vape shops, unlicensed clubs, and various parlors…these all attract more vices and push away the good investors. I would address the simple problems first — hold businesses in compliance with ordinances or zoning. I would work with state and county authorities as needed to determine the best course of action for businesses in violation of other regulatory requirements. Under my administration, the goal will be to make the city work for the businesses who comply with the ordinances, zoning, and the laws and want to do what is right. What would be your goals/plans to address the housing shortage in Lebanon? The housing shortage needs addressed utilizing every funding option from federal and state resources to private investors and non-profits. I would utilize the legal tools available to expeditiously move blighted, vacant, or abandoned properties into the land bank, or a remediation program. I will explore whether there are zoning barriers — such as parking minimums, additional units could be added to properties in low to mid density areas, commercial spaces converted in areas that are primarily residential — that need updated increase housing without compromising the character of existing neighborhoods. I will hold landlords accountable to providing legal and safe housing — and set limits on those with violations on their record. At the same time, we need increased home ownership — and to educate and assist families who qualify. What would you do to attract new businesses to the city? We need a vision/focus/theme for the center of our city, and work over the next 4 years toward realizing that vision. But there is more to the city than the center. Consulting the visitor's center, economic development, chamber of commerce and other organizations to better understand the barriers to bringing business and visitors into the city will help focus on which barriers need resolved as well as which businesses would be worth incentivizing to bring into the city. Once there is a plan, those key organizations can help connect spaces with businesses that are suited to the space and infrastructure or fit within the values we want in our city. My administration will enforce the ordinances to remove illegal and illicit businesses who use up our prime commercial properties while they deteriorate the space around them — causing increased policing/monitoring, repairs for property damage, or the need to repeatedly engage oversight from licensing authorities. If elected, what would be your plans to revitalize the Lebanon community over the next four years? In addition to changing the business environment mentioned previously, I will continue to build with the existing infrastructure, and find funds for a qualified person to develop the downtown area around a theme or focus. For example, the overarching focus could be centered around families and professionals who enjoy outdoors. Green spaces would become destination places considering the demographic we want to engage — with walking or biking to reach those spaces. I want to increase playground programs so there is more supervision and engagement in the city's green spaces of residential areas. Additionally, Lebanon has water flowing through the city…so I want to explore ways the water can be used to bring people into the space or enhance the surrounding green spaces. Liriano is an independent contractor and former Lebanon School District board member. Residents can find more information about his campaign at Cesar for Mayor Facebook page. What do you believe is the biggest problem facing the city, and how would you address it if elected? One of the biggest problem facing the city is the inability of new businesses to establish and sustain of the ways that I would address it are:1. I would eliminate or minimize the obstacles people face when opening a business.2. Create incentives for new businesses so they can be successful.3. Identify locations where more parking can be created.4. Support existing businesses so they can be successful. The second biggest problem is the rise in drug use, especially among the young people. I would address it by creating a cooperation between the parents, the school district, and the city to create programs to keep young people away from addiction. What would be your goals/plans to address the housing shortage in Lebanon? I plan on identifying areas and abandoned buildings to work with investment advocates to build affordable housing. What would you do to attract new businesses to the city? I plan on creating incentives and eliminating some red tape that investors face. If elected, what would be your plans to revitalize the Lebanon community over the next four years? Over the next four years, I plan on maintaining a close relationship with the community so that they feel that my administration is for and by the people. The Pennsylvania 2025 municipal primary is scheduled for May 20. The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 13. Residents looking for more information can visit the Lebanon County Voter Registration Office website at or contact them by phone at 717-228-4428. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: 2 candidates, 1 write-in compete in GOP primary for city mayoral race
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Explore the downtown': Lebanon city officials celebrate completion of streetscape project
Lebanon city officials are hoping to ramp up foot traffic in the downtown after major construction finishes on a multi-year revitalization project to improve sidewalks and features along Cumberland Street. City, state and county officials, along with various community leaders, gathered at the Lebanon City Hall Tuesday, April 1, for theLebanon Streetscape Project ribbon cutting. The $5.2 million construction project encompassed Cumberland Street from 4th through 12th Streets, and included decorative sidewalk areas, curb extensions and the replacement of some existing trees. Lebanon City Mayor Sherry Capello said that creating a more pedestrian friendly environment helps to boost local businesses and property values. "Improving sidewalks encourages people to explore the downtown area on foot," she said. "Features like crosswalks, curb extensions and pedestrian signals prioritize pedestrians, creating a more welcoming environment for shoppers, diners and visitors." Designed by Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying and built by Doug Lamb Construction, the project consisted of works including 100-foot-long section of sidewalk on the south side of Cumberland St. between 428 and 5th street and an 8-inch-wide straight curb for the southwest corner of Chapel St. The two-year construction project caused multiple detours and delays on Cumberland Street, with crews tearing out sidewalks in front of local businesses and traffic delays. However, many officials Tuesday said that the hassles were worth it for the streetscape that now lines the Lebanon downtown. "I will say as someone who has walked downtown many, many times, you could not walk and text at the same time downtown because the sidewalks were so uneven," Karen Groh, president and CEO of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, said during the ceremony. "Now they are so beautiful, you don't want to walk and text the same time because the architecture shines through in the way everything has been enhanced." Plans to renovate the streetscape began in 2016 while officials were looking to move the Lebanon City Hall back to the downtown. Capello said she was visiting the city of Easton, where she fell in love with their streetscape. "I'm like 'We need to have that here in Lebanon,' because it just looked so fresh, new, inviting and I just thought that would help with revitalization," she said. The nine-year project received $100,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Transportation Fund and more than $5.1 million in American Rescue Plan funding, according to Capello. While city officials would like to continue streetscaping projects for other areas in the downtown, they would need to look for outside funding to do a similar project because "concrete is very expensive." "So when we first sprung the idea on everyone, it was supposed to be a public/private partnership with the property owners," Capello said. "But then when we were able to get ARPA funding, cause we knew not everyone would be able to afford it, we just used the ARPA funding to make it happen." Capello added that if the city would look into doing other areas, there would likely have to be a public/private partnership with property owners paying for some of the improvements. City officials moving forward are working on a downtown retail strategy, which include working with consulting services to create a virtual, on-demand training portal for small businesses. Capello said many local businesses are still struggling with issues like supply and demand issues, online competition and staffing shortages. "Those challenges still exist, so we're hoping that maybe we can provide some sort of support to help come up with some ideas," she said. "How successful we will be with that, I'm not sure. But we need to try. We need to try, and we want to be there to help and support them." Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon city officials celebrate completion of streetscape project
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lebanon mayor says the state of city is 'strong, resilient and full of opportunities'
Low crime rates, economic development and city housing concerns were some of the highlights Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello shared with residents during her annual State of the City address Wednesday, March 26. Speaking to a packed house at a Community of Lebanon Association luncheon in the Hebron Social Hall, Capello said the state of city is "strong, resilient and full of opportunities." Capello said crimes against persons, like homicide, rape, robbery and assault, have decreased by 7% compared to 2023. "Serious crime has significantly decreased over the past decades with 2024 representing the second lowest serious crime count in statistical history," she said. "Our crime numbers are lower than most other cities in our region. Lebanon continues to be safe, but we continue to acknowledge the need to change the mindset of using guns to resolve problems." When comparing the city statistics to those of 20 years ago, serious crimes have decreased by more than 63%, according to Capello. Total crimes against property was the second lowest in the city's history and represents a decrease of 14% from 2023. The city reported only one homicide in 2024, down from six that were reported in 2023. Guillen Fabian-Garcia, of Lebanon, and Mariam Saadoune were charged in a fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in his home in the 700 block of Lehman Street April 10. Charges for that case include manslaughter by negligence, as the result from a negligent discharge of a firearm in the home. In 2024, four street crimes involving gunfire and nine random gun fire incidents occurred in the city, according to Capello. While random shots spiked in 2012 and street crimes increased in 2023, Capello said the incidents have been relatively stable overall. The Lebanon Police Department logged 46 firearms into evidence in 2024, a slight increase from the previous year. "Despite lower gun violence compared to other cities, the issue remains a significant public health concern and will continue to be prioritized," Capello said. Out of 118 assaults investigated by police, 46 of assault incidents in the city were domestic violence related, which is a 3% rise in the city. Capello said over the last 15 years, domestic violence has significantly decreased in the city. Police made 914 arrests in 2024, up from the 753 arrests that were made in 2023. Officers had to use force to make an arrest, detain a suspect or to protect an officer or resident in 47 of the arrests made in 2024. There were three complaints filed against officers in 2024. Capello said an internal investigation was done on each of those complaints. "I think a reasonable person could determine from our statistics that the city typically uses the least amount of force necessary as per our use of force policy," she said. In 2024, the Lebanon City Police Department welcomed K-9 Ares to active duty partnered with Lebanon City Patrolwoman Erin Secoges. The department also used an $817,000 grant received in 2023 to fund items including officer retention programs, replace and upgrade in-car video systems and add devices to capture and add devices to capture and track license plate data for vehicle related incidents. The unemployment rate in the city ended at 3.3% at the end of 2024. City officials reported a record high unemployment rate at 17.8% in April 2020. In 2024, the median household income in Lebanon city increased to $47,4439. However, Capello said that amount is still significantly lower than the county and the state. "Our percentage of persons below 100% of the poverty level decreased to slightly less than 23% of the population," she said. "These improvements continue to be positives for our community." A housing study commissioned by the Lebanon County Coalition to End Homelessness found households increased by 8% in Lebanon County between 2010 and 2022. That growth was already expected to increase by another 1%, or an additional 580 households, by 2027. Capello acknowledged "the shortage of housing among all affordability levels" in her speech, saying that this is a national trend. City officials used 2024 to further educate ourselves with housing strategies implemented by other cities, and is looking into options with other community related groups. "We acknowledge this is an issue and we are in the process of creating a housing coalition wherein we will create a housing strategy with attainable short and long- term goals," she said. Across Lebanon County, 27% of households have at least one person employed, yet struggle to afford basic necessities, including housing, utilities, food, child care and health care, according to the Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE, report. ALICE records household incomes that exceed the federal poverty level but are not high enough to pay for basic needs. The City of Lebanon, Annville Township, Myerstown and Palmyra were identified by the ALICE report as having more than 40% of households not having incomes to pay for basic needs. The City of Lebanon has not raised taxes over the last 10 years. According to the city's last filed audit, city fund balances for governmental funds increased by $4.2 million and the city's net position increased by $6.5 million. There were 1,723 calls for public safety and fire department calls in 2024, which was a slight decrease of 39 calls from 2023. Capello said almost 48% of calls were for false alarms, 17% of calls were for Rescue & Emergency Medical Services and about 16% for hazardous conditions like vehicle accident clean-up, aircraft standby and gas leaks. Only 30 calls were structure fires with nine calls in the county and 21 calls in the city representing only 1.2% of all city calls for service. The total number of fire-related incidents resulting in property damage was 21, which Capello said marked the lowest recorded figure to date for the city. "We experienced a total fire count of 88, including the response in all municipalities," she said. "This is four counts lower than 2023. Fires continue to represent about 5% of all calls." The city saw one fire-related fatality in 2024 after a 1-year-old child was killed in a house fire Sept. 13. on Brandywine Street. The parents and grandmother are currently facing child endangerment charges. More than $14 million has been invested in the resurfacing of city streets over the last 17 years, according to Capello. A significant increase in resurfacing projects have occurred over the last 4 years due to the 422/72 Project and the use of ARPA funding for paving projects. "Cumberland St., from 5th Ave. to 16th St. was completed in 2024," she said. "This completes the 422/72 Project. Phase 4 alone represents almost 2 miles of street resurfacing. Cumberland St. from 5th Avenue east to the City line and beyond is anticipated to occur in 2026 with PENNDOT as the lead." Officials have started using AI software to assess the conditions of the city's roads. Capello said about 96% of the 94 miles of streets have been mapped and rated on their level of condition. "The use of this tool needs to be further assessed for accuracy, however, with the most recent data, 55% of our streets are in GREAT to Moderate condition, 26% are Moderate to Severe and about 15% are Severe," she said. "Approximately 4% have not been assessed yet." The city has around 100 condemned properties, which represents about 1% of total housing units. In 2024, the city issued 45 new condemnations due to no utilities, and lifted 91. A total of 60 permits were issued to various groups for the use of streets, sidewalks and parks in 2024, with 62 permits issued in 2023. Capello said that the number of permits issued have not returned to pre-COVID numbers, which ranged in the 90s. The city was awarded almost $632,000 for the Lebanon Steel Works project, which will transform the site of the former Bethlehem Steel's infirmary and meeting site into a community space. Property owner Second Sail Development was awarded a 20-year loan totaling more than $1.7M for additional rehab costs to the site. Capello said city officials anticipate this project will result in the creation of more than 70 new jobs. "This project will not only revitalize a key part of Lebanon's history, but will also provide new opportunities for the community's growth and creativity," she said. In 2023, the City received $102,000 from DCNR to assist with funding for a dog park in Coleman Memorial Park. Capello said officials are transforming the former 1.5 acre pool area into a vibrant space for large and small dogs. In 2024, the design of the dog park and bid specs were completed with the low bid of $267,000. Completion of the dog park is expected by July. City officials acknowledge that a majority of small businesses continue to struggle, Capello said. Inflation, labor shortages and online competition continues to have a negative effect on establishments operating their businesses. "In response, the City will move forward in 2025 with a contract for consulting services to create a virtual, on-demand training portal for an unlimited number of small businesses," she said. "Additionally, consulting services will be provided for downtown strategic visioning and developing an action plan." Highlighting the work done in her 15th year in office, Capello said her administration has made a positive impact on the health of the city in many ways. "We acknowledge we have work to do in some areas, especially with our housing shortage," she said. "It is a privilege to serve as Lebanon's Mayor and I assure you that my administration will continue with our efforts to improve our City." Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ or on Twitter at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon PA mayor: Positive impacts made in the city in 2024
