Four Candidates Seek Seats as Montgomery County Commissioner

Rachel Ravina | The Reporter•

Four candidates are seeking a spot on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in an election that will see at least two newcomers on the three-member board.

Republicans Tom DiBello, Liz Ferry, and Democrats Neil Makhija, and Jamila Winder have each prioritized voter outreach, spending time knocking on doors and meeting with area residents, vying for votes as the campaign season nears its end.

"It’s been really a pleasure to get to know so many different communities and people who you wouldn’t otherwise know,” Makhija said.

Neil Makhija (Photo courtesy Neil Makhija)

Each candidate stressed the importance of this particular election, as three seats are up for grabs. Voters will be tasked with selecting a new board of elected officials overseeing the county. Three of the four candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot will make up the governing body..

Former Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh, a Democrat, resigned from her post earlier this year to serve as human services secretary in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s cabinet.

Winder, a Democrat from East Norriton Township who works in a leadership role at an online medical resources firm and previously served on the Norristown Area School District school board and East Norriton Township Board of Supervisors, was appointed in February to serve out Arkoosh’s remaining term and is now running to hold onto her seat in office.

"I’ve seen parts of Montgomery County —in the organizations, the small business owners, our county operations— that most won’t experience until they’re actually in the role, and so it definitely gives me perspective and a little bit of an edge because I’ve been off to the races understanding the inner workings of how the county works,” Winder said.

Jamila Winder (Photo courtesy Jamila Winder)

Running alongside Winder is Makhija, a 37-year-old attorney and nonprofit president from Penn Valley. Winder was endorsed by the Montgomery County Democratic Committee at the nomination convention back in November. After the second spot was designated "open,” Makhija won nomination during the May primary.

Current Commissioners Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr., also a Democrat, announced he wouldn’t be seeking re-election and will leave office at the end of his term. Republican Commissioner Joe Gale ran in the 2023 primary, but lost to Montgomery County Republican Committee-endorsed candidates DiBello, 60, a retired businessman and former Spring-Ford Area School District school board member, and Ferry, 59, an Upper Dublin Township commissioner.

"I think the reason we won in the primary is because we have long records of working with all types of different people and getting stuff done. It’s just not effective to throw stones,” Ferry said.

Liz Ferry (Photo courtesy Liz Ferry)

The campaign platforms span typical party lines, but both call for working across the aisle. Winder and Makhija are focusing on social services, infrastructure, housing, and employment.

Ferry said she and DiBello have "hyperlocal issues” in mind such as addressing budgets, crime and open space preservation.

"At the end of the day, regardless of your political affiliation, my role as a commissioner is to serve all the residents of Montgomery County,” Winder said. "So I try to stay grounded in that and stay grounded on the issues that are affecting all residents regardless of your political affiliation.”

It’s a similar mentality DiBello recalled from his 12 years on the school board.

"From my perspective, politics were left at the door. Had no political agendas, no nothing,” DiBello said. "My goal when I got elected was to turn Spring-Ford into one of the top school districts in the state, and that’s what we did.”

While the candidates had their own reason for running for higher office, public service was a core part of each of their answers.

Tom DiBello (Photo courtesy Tom DiBello)

Ferry, the sole Republican commissioner on the Upper Dublin board, said collaboration is key.

"I think I’m really able to get things done and improve services for people and innovate and let them keep more of their hard earned tax dollars, which I think is appreciated and I think just good honest governance,” she said.

While he’s never personally served in office, Makhija said "goal oriented” best describes his governing style.

"I want to get things done and I want to make sure we are reaching every community; in doing so, we’re really addressing the needs of the entire county,” he said.

Winder agreed.

"In terms of my governing style, I’m treating everyone like they’re my friend, or like they’re my neighbor, or as if they’re my own disabled mother, or my family member that’s been struggling with addiction,” Winder said. "I take every issue that’s coming before me or every decision that’s coming before me very seriously.”

When asked the biggest issue they’d like to work on in office, DiBello and Ferry agreed addressing the county’s financials was top of mind.

"The biggest priority to start I would say is the budget,” Ferry said. "There’s about an $18.5 million deficit. They’ve increased the budget by about 7 percent each year for the last three years and there’s sort of no end in sight.”

"I think the biggest priority is going to be spending and taxes and I’m going to incorporate a lot of strategies that I’ve been successful with in the past,” DiBello said.

Makhija said he sees an opportunity for innovation and use of federal funds to further development throughout Montgomery County.

"I think there’s going to be a lot of interest and investment in suburban communities like ours in this post-
Covid landscape where cities have a different set of challenges,” he said.

He also expressed an interest in the election board, as he teaches election law at the University of Pennsylvania and
"I just saw how important it was to have good people in office who were going to protect the right to vote and this position oversees elections for 900,000 people almost,” Makhija said.

For Winder, it’s the ever present need for affordable housing stock. If elected, she proposed holding a housing affordability summit in early 2024.

"If we truly want Montgomery County to be the best place to live, work, raise a family, and we want to be equitable about it, we have to come up with creative ways to increase housing affordability,” she said.

"What are we going to do to incentivize townships to be part of a comprehensive housing plan? That’s going to be a key priority,” Makhija said. "What is the county doing to help show leadership, get all the townships to participate in a housing plan and a plan to address homelessness?”

Another topic of conversation throughout the county is homelessness. When the candidates become commissioners, it’s a complex issue of importance that they pledged to work to address.

"The homeless problem is growing in Montgomery County. Everyone knows it. Everyone’s seeing it,” DiBello said.

"How do we share the burden across our 62 municipalities to support those families dealing with homelessness?” Winder said, adding that "it’s really complicated but I believe … we’re better trying to solve it together than being at odds.”

The candidates took a moment to evaluate their personal strengths as they recognize the impact the election will have: one party could maintain majority control or another would assume control.

"It’s important to Liz and I, because when we’re elected if we’re a majority, we’re going to bring good conservative leadership, and when I mean conservative I mean conservative from a spending standpoint, we’re going to bring that leadership to the county that we’ve kind of been without for a while and we’re going to address the core issues,” DiBello said.

"I bring those lived experiences to the commissioners office and I’m working to challenge the status quo,” Winder said. "Val, Ken, Leslie, (and) Josh did amazing things by the residents of Montgomery County,” Winder said, referring to Arkoosh, Lawrence, Leslie Richards, and Shapiro, all who’ve served as Democratic county commissioners.

"Now we’re ushering in a new generation of leaders that look and act different and so we have a real opportunity heading into January, and I’m hoping that it will be Neil and I that are sworn in as the majority commissioners,” she said.

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