Township’s receptionist wins election to board of supervisors, ready to meet new challenges
By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com
Pocopson's Ricki Stumpo won election to the township's Board of Supervisors.
POCOPSON — She’s used to being something like the face of the township, but now as an elected official things are likely to be a little different for Ricki Stumpo.
Stumpo, who is often the first person people meet when entering the township building — she’s worked as the receptionist for the township for a number of years — won election as Township Supervisor earlier this month and will take office in January, winning election over Carol Haaf.
Although her race started as a write-in back in May, it had been something she had considered earlier.
“I was asked by a lot of people to run,” she said.
The race proved to challenging, she said, with some strong opinions on both sides. Because of her long involvement in various township matters — such as Founders Day and serving on the township’s Parks, Recreation and Trails committee, she already knew a lot of people and, she said, had a pretty good sense of the issues that the average township resident was concerned about.
“I think for us, it was a grass roots effort,” she said. “I talked to a lot of people and I was really encouraged.”
She plans to continue working for the township — which is legal and has precedent in recent history in the township, as former township roadmaster Bill Harwood was a supervisor while employed by the township. Similar situations with employees serving on board of supervisors continue in neighboring towns such as East Marlborough and Newlin, so Stumpo said she’s not overly concerned about the issue. One change: her salary will now be set by an auditor, rather than the board of supervisors.
While she said she has some opinions about a number of the key issues supervisors are likely to grapple with in the coming months — ranging from the renovation of the Barnard House, communications, working with the township’s various volunteers and taxes, she said she feels a responsibility to sit down with her soon to be colleagues, supervisors Steve Conary and Georgia Brutscher and talk before saying anything publicly.
And while both Brutscher and Conary supported her opponent, Haaf, Stumpo said she doesn’t think there will be any long-term animosity, noting that both were very gracious following the election in offering congratulations.
