Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

With his first term on Tyrone Borough Council nearly complete, Jeffrey Watson is seeking another term as a council member.
“We are making progress,” said Watson. “We are starting on a path to revitalize the downtown. We are making progress on the infrastructure with water and sewer line replacement and developing business in the borough.”
Watson believes that hiring a borough manager, fulfilling the obligations to the police department and the hotel project are three of the biggest needs of the borough.
“We have conducted several interviews for the borough manager position,” said Watson. “We still have a couple more to do. I would like to see a new manager hired by the end of the year so they can take part in the budget process.
“We have an obligation to the police department to hire a new full-time officer by the end of the year,” said Watson. “With the establishment of the civil service committee, we are well on our way to doing that.
“Some of my competitors have said that there is not a need for a hotel downtown,” said Watson. “To say that a hotel is not needed is foolish. That is one of the reasons the hi-tech business that I work for left Tyrone is that there was not a place for the vendors that we work with to conveniently stay. The hotel will be booked on Penn State weekends, when high school football playoffs are in Tyrone and the weekend of District wrestling. Plus with weddings, family reunions and the needs of businesses like Team Ten, PPG and New Pig, there is definitely a need for a hotel in Tyrone. I would like to see the project through to fruition.”
Many of the challengers for the open seats on borough council have spoke of no business in Tyrone. Watson believes that programs like LERTA and KOEZ’s are beneficial to Tyrone.
“My competitors have said that there is no business that is locating in Tyrone,” said Watson. “Part of the reason behind that is we are unable to offer them the packages they need to be competitive. Businesses are looking to save on start-up costs. The Team Ten project is a perfect example of that. With the KOEZ it is a five-year break on taxes that the borough will re-coup in the long run. We are seeing some activity downtown with buildings being renovated. KOEZ zones and LERTA zones will help attract the businesses that we don’t have.”
Watson would like to serve a second term on Tyrone’s governing body.
“People can expect me to vote on the principles I was brought up on,” said Watson. “I have always voted in the best financial interests of Tyrone Borough. We are fiscally responsible and we aren’t going out and wasting taxpayers money. Since I have been on council, we have not raised taxes and I don’t foresee one for next year.”
There are many projects that are underway that Watson would like to see finished.
“We are starting talks to get the Washington Avenue infrastructure underway,” said Watson. This has been in the planning stages for years. Just like anything when government is involved, projects take time. Many people think that the railroad track replacement happened overnight. I have seen paperwork on the project for over three years. It takes time to get things accomplished.”
Watson appears on the Republican ballot in the November general election.

By Rick