Jurgen Koster of New Kensington is getting involved in local advocacy, he said, because nothing has changed since he moved to the city three years ago.
Koster is one of about 12 regular members of Voice of New Kensington, a grassroots community group that formed this year to discuss local issues, especially zoning, code enforcement, rising cost of living and the city’s perceived lack of action on residents’ concerns.
“The affordability of living in New Kensington — I think that that is probably the number one issue,” Koster said. “A couple others are people … have been, I would say, unsatisfied with the answers that they have heard from our local representatives.”
Pennsylvania United, a grassroots nonprofit with chapters across the region, has expanded its footprint this year in New Kensington and Arnold through its affordability crisis campaign focused on local, county and statewide policy change to offset the rising cost of living.
Voice of New Kensington, which usually meets every second Monday of the month at Evanly Bakes, is a chapter of PA United and Voice of Westmoreland.
The group’s next meeting will be a community cookout at Evanly Bakes from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
So far, about 30 people have committed to going, Koster said.
Mackenzie Fangman, a lead organizer at Voice of Westmoreland, said Voice of New Kensington grew out of the organization’s affordability crisis campaign.
Right now, another focus for the group is data center development. Nearby, data centers are either proposed or underway in Upper Burrell and Springdale.
Fangman said the group is exploring what impacts, including to local utilities, those projects could have.
“A lot of our meetings right now are researching,” Fangman said. “Fundamentally, at PA United, we believe everyone deserves to live a decent life, and that starts with political education.”
Nick Cucci, who has lived in the Parnassus neighborhood of New Kensington for about four years, is concerned about abandoned properties, code enforcement and how the city handles community input.
He said many of his neighbors are worried about the same things.
“I’ve tried to go up through the proper channels to report concerns,” Cucci said. “There’s been little discernible action that I can see taken, despite myself and many community members expressing concerns about coding issues, blight and just other community issues.”
New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said the city’s goal is to respond as quickly as possible to resident concerns and welcomes new ideas.
“I am more than happy to speak to anyone or any group and discuss their concerns and work together to find solutions to those concerns,” Guzzo said. “As everyone knows, I am available at city hall everyday and my door is always open.”
Guzzo said the city has demolished 100 dilapidated and unsafe structures in the past three years.
“We will continue to work diligently at attacking the issue,” he said.
Cucci said affordability also is a hot topic at meetings, especially after garbage disposal costs in the city rose by 73% in 2023.
Jocelyn Burns recently brought her affordability concerns to state lawmakers in Harrisburg, a trip organized by PA United, to share her storyas a retired nurse who relocated to New Kensington from Maryland for the lower costs.
Burns is an active member of Voice of New Kensington and Voice of Westmoreland.
She feels the trip to the state capital was successful because the group was able to get state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, to sign onto a digital advertising tax bill, which Voice of Westmoreland feels will help offset costs for everyday Pennsylvanians. Nelson sits on the state House communications and technology committee.
The bill would impose a 5% tax on digital advertising revenue at large firms like Google, Meta and Amazon that sell advertising space on their platforms. Proponents say it could raise as much as $330 million per year that would be used toward senior citizen property tax rebates.
She said she hopes to bring the same momentum to the Voice of New Kensington discussions, especially in regard to affordability and data center development in the region.
“It’s something new to this area, and I’m looking forward to all the positive impacts it can have for our citizens,” Burns said of the group.
Koster said he joined the group to bring new ideas to the community discussion.
“Mine, right now, would be a community solar project, or a community hydro electric project,” Koster said. “We just had (utility) prices increased by over 10%, and we have more data centers coming in, and it doesn’t seem to be that there is a plan to help keep down the electric cost for this community.”
Right now, the group is focused on shopping ideas and recommendations to city officials, Jurgen said. With enough energy, though, the group could aim for more of an impact on local politics.
“I think, if we have a large enough group, we can find a leader who is actually suited to this area and would like the role and would be there for their constituents,” Jurgen said. “I think the first thing is probably to win a seat on the city council.”
If you go
Who: Voice of New Kensington
What: New Ken Community Cookout hosted by the community group focused on discussing local issues
When: 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 23
Where: Evanly Bakes, 945 Fifth Ave., New Kensington