With five council seats to be filled, the Nov. 3 general election is an important one for Bellevue. There are contests to be decided in each of the borough's three wards.

First Ward

Voters will choose two representatives from among four candidates running for council in the first ward. Incumbents Jane Braunlich (Democrat) and Kathleen Coder (Republican) are joined on their respective ballots by newcomers Susan Schafer and David Piet.

Braunlich attended council meetings for 10 years and served on Bellevue's Democratic Committee before accepting an appointment to council three years ago. She won election to a two-year term, and now seeks re-election to a four-year term on council.

She and her husband Mike have lived on Margaretta Avenue in Bellevue for 15 years, raising four children who attended Northgate schools before going on to college. Braunlich first became involved in the local community as a volunteer for school activities and organizations, and also became a cook and server for the Lutheran Service Society senior center in Bellevue.

On council, Braunlich currently serves as chair of the public works committee, was a member of the committee in charge of the borough building renovation, and represented Bellevue on the Tri-Boros Planning Commission that developed the joint zoning code with Avalon and Ben Avon.

Coder and her husband Ron purchased their home on North Bryant Avenue in 2007, although Coder previously had lived in Bellevue for several years in the 1980s. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Edinboro University and a master's degree in organization leadership from Geneva College. She runs her own consulting business, and has been a mentor for female athletes at the University of Pittsburgh, chairman of the board of Women in Leadership Leading Other Women (WILLOW), a volunteer for North Hills Community Outreach and a member of the executive committee for CONNECT.

Coder was appointed to council in June of 2008 and became president last November in the unprecedented "coup" of sitting council president Linda Woshner, an event that continues to resonate in Bellevue government and the upcoming election.

"The way it happened was probably not the right way to do it," Coder now says of the event she says was engineered by former Republican council member Jerry Walter. Coder said that she was contacted by Walter, who told her he and others wanted her to become the president of council because they were unhappy with Woshner.

"I was an innocent bystander," she says.

The coup, however, could not have taken place without her, as the vote to reorganize was 5-4. She was elected president in a 6-3 vote.

"Those five people brought shame to this town," Braunlich says, calling the act a matter of ethics, morality and conscience.

"I don't like it when our government turns nasty like that," Braunlich said. "They should have waited their turn."

Braunlich points out that Coder had been on council for only five months when she agreed to take over as president, and had never even made a motion on the floor of a regular council meeting.

She points out a number of errors that were made, which she attributes to Coder's inexperience, among them being meetings held in violation of the state's Sunshine Act, Coder's independent decision to send four employees to Nemacolin Woodlands for a leadership training program at taxpayer expense, and a 2009 budget that incorrectly showed the borough having a $2 million surplus after Coder refused to hold detailed review sessions, and frequent procedural errors that she says keep council from accomplishing tasks.

"Our entire society is built on rules and regulations," Braunlich says, noting that most are in place to protect the citizens. Bellevue has its own rules and regulations, she says, which she has researched and learned. "We should be able to abide by them," Braunlich says, adding that many of the procedures are designed to keep the taxpayers informed of what their government is doing. "It's their money," Braunlich says.

She also is critical of Coder's attendance record, saying that Coder has missed some 16 meetings in the past year while Braunlich herself has never missed a meeting.

Coder says that she has not kept track of her absences, but that she did count the number of meetings at which she was supposed to appear since taking office. There were over 100, she said, which means that even 16 absences were a small percentage of the total. She says that she does travel for business, something she made clear when she accepted the appointment.

Coder admits that her first year on council has been a struggle.

"It has been a huge learning curve for me," she says.

As opposed to specific knowledge of government, Coder says that what she brings to council is a knowledge of the "principles of leadership" and a desire to bring together all facets of the community to work toward revitalization and progress. An example of that is the Bellevue Initiative for Growth (BIG), which started as an economic development committee organized by former council president Woshner, but was taken over by Coder at the time of the coup. BIG has brought together more than 100 people from throughout the North Boroughs to work cooperatively on a variety of issues, Coder says.

"I just want to take Bellevue to the next level," she says.

She points to the possibility that Bellevue will be part of the Allegheny Together program, which targets revitalization of business districts. Although the program provides no funding for public improvements -- and in fact will cost the borough some $15,000 over a three-year period -- it does provide consultants and studies, as well as the potential for business loans to rehabilitate buildings. Bellevue's participation has not yet received official approval from Allegheny County.

Braunlich also would like to see more attention focused on the Lincoln Avenue business district, although she thinks that some critics have been much too harsh.

"It's a great little town," she says of Bellevue, noting that there are very few vacancies in either the Lincoln Avenue or Ohio River Boulevard business districts. "Our glass is not half empty, it's three-quarters full," she says.

She has proposed business tax abatements that would eliminate mercantile and business privilege taxes for new businesses for a period of time, something she says could attract new businesses and help them get on their feet.

Coder agrees with the idea, and also suggests property tax incentives that would encourage people to convert multi-unit rental properties into single family homes.

The two candidates disagree on two issues that have come before council in recent months. The first was the detour route to be used when the High Bridge is closed. Coder was part of a group that met with county representatives and developed a plan that would have eliminated some 30 bus stops along Lincoln Avenue. Braunlich adamantly opposed the plan, which was ultimately scrapped. The second involves the sale of part of Memorial Park. Coder supported a parks committee recommendation to sell the property, and Braunlich opposed it when it was brought to council. The idea currently has been put on the back burner.

Joining the incumbents on the ballot is David Piet of Arch Avenue, who works in transportation for Matthews International. The North Catholic High School graduate, who has taken classes at Robert Morris University and Community College of Allegheny County, volunteered with the Bellevue Avalon Girls Athletic Association (BAGAA) for 14 years.

This is his first foray into the political arena, something he says was motivated by the changes he has observed in the borough. Bellevue is at a "crossroads," Piet says, and can either deteriorate or grow. He'd like to help steer Bellevue onto the right path, he says.

"I'm going to fight for Bellevue," he says.

That fight should be focused in the Lincoln Avenue business district, he says. He advocates a beat cop that will at least make people feel safe on the streets, as well as efforts directed at enticing new businesses. to that end, he says he would favor eliminating the mercantile and business privilege taxes.

"You ought to be thankful that business is there," he says.

Piet says that although he has no experience in government, he is the type of person who will research issues as they come up and make educated decisions.

Candidate Susan Schafer did not respond to a request for information.

Second Ward

With both council incumbents -- Steve Mosolansky and Mike Kutschbach -- choosing not to run for re-election, two seats will be filled with newcomers in the Nov. 3 election.

Two Democrats -- James and Susan Viscusi, husband and wife, of Shade Avenue -- are seeking election, along with Republican Nicholas Myers of Madison Avenue.

Susan Viscusi appears on the November election ballot courtesy of write-in votes during the primary. The registered nurse who now works in public health holds two associate degrees -- one cum laude in nursing -- from Community College of Allegheny County. She first moved to Bellevue 22 years ago, and has been active in leadership positions with her church.

James Viscusi currently owns "Jimmy V's" hair styling salon in Ben Avon, which is a return to his prior career in which he owned a salon in West View. The Vietnam War veteran is retired from the state as a corrections officer, served as a military policeman, and as a constable. He also is pursuing a career in acting, and has appeared in several movies, television programs and commercials.

Myers is 2008 graduate of Northgate High School who now studies environmental science at Robert Morris University while working at the Bellevue Hardware store.

All of the candidates cite a desire to improve the Lincoln Avenue business district through business tax incentives and attracting new businesses, do not want to see the sale of Memorial Park property, and are not happy with last year's "coup" that changed the leadership of council.

"There probably could have been a better way to go about it," Myers says of the coup.

Both of the Viscusis also want to see more police visibility in the community, and have concerns about how well property maintenance and building codes are being enforced in the residential areas.

James Viscusi believes that the borough could be saving a lot of money by cutting expenditures and channeling funds into public improvements. He says that the borough's census enumerator needs to be especially vigilant in identifying taxpayers in order to increase revenues. On the expenditure side of the budget, he says that he supports merit-based salary increases, employee contributions to health insurance costs, and using part-time employees.

"That will save you a lot," he says. "That's going to be the groundwork for building this borough up."

Myers, who says he has never attended a council meeting, says that his youth is what is needed in bellevue to bring in new ideas.

All three candidates express a desire to stay in touch with their constituents and keep them involved in the community.

"I would like people to understand that they have a voice in their community," Susan Viscusi says.

"I would try my hardest to do what is best for Bellevue, with their input," Myers says.

Third Ward

Although former council member Jerry Walter's name will still appear on the Republican ballot, Democrat Mark Panichella will get his most active competition from Republican David Price. Price has launched a last-minute write-in campaign for the sole third ward seat on council to be filled in the election.

Panichella recently was appointed to fill Walter's seat on council. A resident of Bellevue for almost four years, he moved to Dawson Avenue from the Washington, D.C. area.

"I fell in love with Bellevue," he says, particularly the commercial district within walking distance, the friendliness of the people and the affordable housing.

A graduate of West Virginia University, Panichella is the director of human resources for VITAC. He has volunteered with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Brashear Association, Global Links, Nine Mile Watershed Association, Pittsburgh 200, United Way, Church of the Brethren, the North Boroughs YMCA, Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Human Rights Campaign.

Price moved to Bellevue from Ohio just over three years ago to be closer to his grown children. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Denison University, a law degree from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine, and pursued doctoral studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is now retired, and serves on the Tri-Boros Joint Planning Commission and as the president of the Friends of Bayne Library.

Panichella would like to see the revitalization efforts that have impacted other Pittsburgh neighborhoods take root closer to home.

"It doesn't seem like Bellevue's tapping into that energy," he says. He says he often hears from people about how Bellevue used to be. "I want to bring out the good in Bellevue again," he says. "I* feel I have something to contribute.

He advocates business tax incentives and efforts to attract new and diverse businesses to the borough, and says that he has seen tax abatement programs work in the D.C. area.

Panichella would like to address other issues, such as encouraging rental property owners to convert their buildings to single family homes, problems with absentee landlords, cleaning up Lincoln Avenue and getting a beat cop on the main street. He opposes the sale of Memorial Park property.

Price says that his experience working with the joint planning commission has given him a new perspective on how issues can be addressed with a multi-municipal approach. He believes that the commission could be used beyond the area of zoning to facilitate other joint efforts.

He says that the greatest contribution he can make to Bellevue Council is through the skills he developed in his professional life. His legal background has trained him to seek out facts and prioritize issues, he says, while his counseling skills would help him facilitate communication among people involved in government.

"I think I'm a good listener," he says.