Republican John C. Hersh has announced his candidacy for the office of Whitehall Township mayor.

Hersh volunteers as a lieutenant with the Whitehall Fire Department. For the past 12 years, he has been elected by his peers to the position of treasurer of the Whitehall Firefighter’s Relief Association.

He said he enjoys working with the public and is enthusiastic to become the next mayor.

He added he will bring focus to the challenges facing the fire department, particularly the manpower shortages that occur regularly.

“For too long, the manpower issues experienced from a growing shortage of volunteers has been tabled by township officials. This results in significantly extended response times to emergencies, at a time when seconds count,” Hersh said. “As mayor, I promise to address the issue through the establishment of a fire committee, which will collaboratively create and execute a workable solution.”

Hersh said he pledges to work with the police department and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to further combat aggressive and reckless driving on MacArthur Road.

The township has its first traffic video camera project planned, according to Hersh, and he said he intends to expand upon it in the future.

Hersh is an account executive for a communications company, possessing customer relationship, project management and financial reporting skills. He holds a degree in business administration and marketing from Bloomsburg University.

He and his wife, Donna, raised two children, Sarah and James, who graduated from Whitehall-Coplay School District.

For additional information, visit his website, Hersh4Mayor.com.