Four Compete for Three Seats on West View Borough Council

Four candidates are competing for three seats on the West View Borough Council.

Incumbents Kim Steele, Donald Mikec and Barry Schell are running for re-election as Democrats, and newcomer Alison Kilmartin is running as a Republican. 

Barry Schell 

Schell, 71, has lived in West View for 31 years. He and his wife of 50 years, Dolores, have four children and six grandchildren. The former director of building and grounds at , where he graduated in 1959, Schell is now retired.

He is a life member of the , where he was president from 1985 to 1999. He also served as fire marshal from 1978 to 1999.

Schell was first elected to the council in 2000 and is seeking his fourth term. Among the achievements he notes as a council member is his influence in acquiring grants for West View projects, including the reconstruction of roads. 

Alison Kilmartin 

Kilmartin, 34, and her husband moved to West View in 2009. They have a 7 1/2-month-old daughter. An attorney for Jones Day, she specializes in civil litigation and is a graduate of Grove City College and Penn State University Law School. 

Kilmartin said she decided to run because she loves where she lives, and she wants to get involved and contribute to the community. 

"I think sometimes it's nice having fresh faces on the borough council," she said. 

She said she would like to see a "Welcome to West View" sign installed and sidewalks repaired. Preserving property values and the quality of life—including police and fire services—in West View would be her priorities. 

Kim Steele 

Steele, 58, is running for her first full term on the council. She was appointed in 2009 to fill a vacancy and was elected to finish out the term in 2010. 

She has lived in West View for 37 years, and she and her husband live in her grandparents' former home. They have four adult children. 

A legislative assistant to State Rep. Joe Markosek, Steele said she brings 20 years of experience working in state government to the council. 

She said she thinks it is particularly important to keep a school in West View that children and families can walk to, and that police and public safety are her priorities. 

One of the challenges facing the borough in the upcoming years will be managing the budget and revenue constraints while still providing the services residents need, she said. 

"We're a unique small borough," she said, adding that the fact that the borough has its own police department and the road crew is noteworthy.

"It's a great place to live," she said. 

Donald Mikec

Mikec, 55, is seeking his second term on the borough council. Before being elected to the seat in 2008, he spent six years on the West View Planning Commission. 

Mikec has lived in West View for 25 years. He grew up nearby in Ross and has been a lifelong member of in West View. He is a 1974 graduate of North Hills High School and a 1978 graduate of Duquesne University, where he received a degree in business.

His brother, David Mikec, serves on the . 

A former sales representative for Kraft Foods, Mikec said he brings his background in sales and business to the council. 

Also, "I think one of the intangibles is a love for the area," he said. "I am very proud of this area, and I'd like to market that, spread that."