According to the six candidates, Tuesday's contest for three Robinson commissioner seats is not so much about whether reform is needed as it is about just how fast and drastic reform should be.

Incumbent Republicans Jerry Brouker and Stephanie Triko-Selelyo, minority commissioners on the five-member board for four years, have been calling for change in how the township handles finances, hiring and planning.

"We tried to lower taxes; we tried to eliminate nepotism; we totally disagree with the Democrats' approach on hiring professional services," Mr. Brouker said. "We have attempted to be agents of change."

He and Ms. Triko-Selelyo both said that if they gain a majority on the board, they would launch a sweeping analysis of administrative functions. Ms. Triko-Selelyo said planning functions, in particular, are a source of constant questions from residents.

"People keep asking, 'Why is this particular developer allowed to do that?' " she said. " 'Why are they doing more cookie-cutter housing?' They're looking toward the future and wondering if we're doing the right things."

The third Republican on the ticket is Jess Forquer, who has a background in engineering and management and has long been a critic of Robinson government.

His biggest concern is with financial management. The township was embarrassed last year by revelations that $191,000 was held in accounts set up by the former tax collector and unknown to anyone else.

"The first thing I would look at is financial issues," Mr. Forquer said. "If you have your financial issues in order, everything else falls into place."

He said his experience -- serving two years as a project manager in France and buying millions of dollars worth of industrial machinery for a factory in China -- would stand the township in good stead.

"Things like that are much more complicated than running township government," he said.

The Democratic candidates, meanwhile, said that what is needed is more of an evolution and less of a revolution.

"I'm concerned about the potential for overdevelopment," building contractor Earl Mapel said. "We need to find a comfort level, and commercial development and industrial development need to be scrutinized a little more closely."

But he said the most important, most immediate issue for the commissioners is to find common ground and stop the bickering and pettiness.

"You can never, ever uplift yourself by downgrading anyone else," he said.

"I want to make local politics as nonpartisan as they can be," incumbent candidate Ron Shiwarski said in agreement. "When the residents watch a commissioners' meeting, they shouldn't even know whether a guy is a Democrat or a Republican. We're not deciding world issues here."

The third Democratic candidate, business owner Steve Rozman, agreed that "a lot of petty arguing about small things" has taken place, but he talked at greater length about development concerns.

"I can get from my house to Mt. Lebanon faster than I can get across the township," he said. "We need to look at the traffic impact of what's being done."

He also said those who think development is a subsiding issue -- that everything that can be built has been built -- should "get on Google maps and look at a satellite picture. There are whole swathes of green. ... Robinson really needs to catch up on development."

The two commissioners who are not up for re-election -- Dan Tallon and Sam Abatta -- are Democrats, which means the election could create anything from a 3-2 Republican majority to a 5-0 Democratic majority.

That's a crucial difference to Mr. Brouker.

"The Democratic machine in Robinson has been in charge for 30 years," he said. "They've put politics first. Their agenda is not necessarily to serve the greater good of the public; it is to serve themselves."

The Democrats, however, said the numbers are a non-issue as long as the individuals are independent.

"Let's assume the board is all Democrats. What happens to the checks and balances?" Mr. Mapel asked. "They're still there. We're not legislating, not setting policy. We're all individuals, all have different qualities, all have our own ideas about how to handle issues. It shouldn't be about party affiliation; it should be about the individuals."

First Published: October 29, 2009, 9:30 a.m.