Meet Bill Holmes, For East Whiteland Supervisor

Name: Bill Holmes (D)

Address: 315 Sidley Rd. Malvern, PA

Running For: Township Supervisor – East Whiteland

Positions Held Previously: Current Township Supervisor

What do you think can be done to improve pedestrian travel in the area: East Whiteland Township was the first township in the county to have its section of the Chester Valley Trail completed. Many residents had waited years for the trail so our board worked with county officials to expedite its completion. We are now looking for opportunities to add connections to the Chester Valley Trail.  The East Whiteland Park and Recreation plan includes a map of a proposed township-wide trail system.  

We will continue to pursue completing additional walking paths identified within the plan.  We will also compel developers to build sidewalks in retail sections of the township when appropriate.

Explain which issues motivated you to run: I ran in 2007 on a platform of putting residents in charge of their local government.  In 2007 it seemed that many residents did not feel their views or issues mattered.  I wanted to engage residents and keep them informed about what was happening in the township. 

During my term, we revived the newsletter, conducted town hall meetings and ensured more content is on our website.  I have personally responded to hundreds of emails concerning a variety of issues and questions.  I have tried to foster an environment at our township meetings that encourages residents to share their ideas and their concerns.

I feel it is imperative that every resident has an opportunity to make our community better.

Is there an area in which you think the current administration could have performed better, and how would you address that area: A lot has been accomplished in East Whiteland during my term as Township Supervisor.  However, a lot of these accomplishments were more tactical in nature.  I’ve gained a lot of experience and I’ve established a lot of relationships in this term.  I want to leverage my experience and these relationships to focus on creating a long-term vision and plan for East Whiteland. Updating our Comprehensive Plan will be an integral part of defining that vision.