Lifelong South Whitehall Township resident Ben Long has announced his candidacy for township commissioner.

A 2012 Parkland High School graduate and a 2016 graduate of DeSales University, Long is the second-generation owner of the South Whitehall based business Lehigh Valley Water Systems.

He and his wife, Nicole, are the parents of a son, Noah, 8 months.

The Longs’ faith is extremely important to them and they are active members of Faith Church, Trexlertown.

An active member of the community, Long currently serves on the board of the Parkland Education Foundation and is a board member of the Western Lehigh Chamber of Commerce.

Long says he is proud of his service and accomplishments from his time on the South Whitehall Township Board of commissioners, having being appointed by a majority of his peers to serve out the year created by a vacancy.

He says the work was just getting started.

“I thoroughly enjoyed representing the business community as a member of the board,” Long said. “There will be some crucial decisions that will need to be made in the coming years and it is particularly important that now more than ever we elect candidates who are 100 percent committed to this community’s success rather than pursuing political gain or activism.”

The candidate says he is a strong supporter of the local business community and residents need to focus on all the positives that growth has brought South Whitehall Township.

He says having the right stakeholders at the table is paramount.

“Rather than focusing on negativity, if elected, I am committing to the members of the community, the developers, and businesses that it will be my goal to create an environment of compromise to ensure South Whitehall stays ‘open for business,’” Long said. “We are blessed with a thriving community that has incredible resources, a great school district, beautiful park systems, and a healthy infrastructure.”

As a business owner with deep ties to the community, Long says he realizes things have and will continue to change, but that is a good thing.

“As a lifelong member of this community and a small-business owner, I have firsthand seen the changes that have taken place in our community,” Long said. “The demographics have changed, there are new opportunities, and people are coming from far and wide to live in South Whitehall Township.

“Not only do I believe that change is a good thing, we should embrace it and expect that the best is yet to come for this community, and I look forward to being apart of it.”

Long says his top priorities will remain his faith, family and providing for his employees, he loves this community and wants to represent those currently underrepresented on the current board of commissioners - those with young families and business owners.

“Truthfully, I do not need this job and I am not looking for something to fill my schedule,” the candidate said. “I simply love living here, running a business here and raising my family here and I am looking to give back.

“It is important that young families and small businesses that may not have the time to pay attention to local government have a voice on the board.

“I look forward to the opportunity to be that voice.”

Long says he believes so strongly in the role being an act of community service that he will be donating his entire salary to local charities including fire, police and EMS.

Additionally, he will be self-funding and not raising any money for the position.