Eliyahu Gasson | editor-in-chief

Local elected officials gathered at Duquesne University on Wednesday evening to discuss the direct impact of municipal government on everyday life.

The panel, titled “How Government Works for You,” was held at 6:30 p.m. in the Pappert Lecture Hall in Bayer Hall School of Pharmacy. It was the first of a two-panel series focused on shedding light on how local and state government work.

Organized by the College Republicans, the event sought to “eliminate the sensationalism and partisanship found within modern politics,” according to Jonathan Collins, president of the organization and panel moderator.

The event included local leaders such as: Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Moon Township David Bachman, Former Moon Township Supervisor Albert Quaye, Bridgeville Borough Council Member Jason Ferri and Sharpsburg Borough Council Member Roman Mason.

Voices in Leadership

The panelists spoke about the emergence of young leaders in local politics. Roman Mason, who is also a junior accounting student at Duquesne, was elected to the Sharpsburg Borough Council in 2024 at 19 years old.

Mason said he was encouraged by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato to run for the position when he was in high school. He said he didn’t want anything to do with local government at first.

“She hounded me enough and cornered me so I became a junior council person,” he said. “I came to Duquesne my freshman year to play football and there was an opportunity for me to join [Sharpsburg] Borough Council. It was one of those opportunities I couldn’t pass up.”

The need for practical experience

Bachman said that his private-sector experience in construction management directly translated to his public service, a job that calls for practical experience outside of politics.

Bachman said his proudest achievement involved a major municipal building where the board chose to renovate existing structures rather than build new ones.

“The renovations came in about 50 cents on the dollar what it costs now,” he said.

Quaye echoed the need for practical expertise. The Republican said his goal as a local politician was to “make government look like an efficient corporation.”

He said that while some issues like low-income housing and library funding can follow party lines, he maintained a singular focus while he was in office.

“My job is to make Moon Township great,” he said.

Political parties in local government

While the national political climate is often defined by rigid party lines, the panelists argued that municipal governance operates differently.

“It’s not a D or an R that fixes the roads, it’s just a person that does it,” Collins said.

Ferri said local government’s focus remains on the community rather than political affiliation. Reflecting on his political influence, Ferri pointed to the relationship between former President Ronald Reagan and former House Speaker Tip O’Neil as a model for modern leadership.

“In that era you always got a sense that even if people disagreed, they still respected each other and still were able to communicate in a positive way,” he said.

Mason said that regardless of the level of government, the goal should be the same.

“I think no matter what level you’re at — local, state, federal — it’s all for the common good of the people, and the most important thing is bipartisanship,” he said. “Allowing each other to work together for the common good, which is the constituents of the town and the people.”

A follow-up panel is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on April 8 in the Bayer Hall School of Pharmacy featuring a panel of state legislators.

Eliyahu Gasson can be reached at gassone@duq.edu