POTTSVILLE — Andy Wollyung and Tom Smith both say they want to make the city better.
The two are vying to be elected the next Mayor of Pottsville.
Wollyung, a city council member, is running as a Democrat, and Smith, President of the YMCA Board of Directors as a Republican.
“This is 100% about putting the right person in the mayor’s chair and that person is me,” Wollyung said.
Smith is equally as confident in saying the voters should select him.
“I’m not in it for anything other than to help the community and our people that are in it,” he said.
Addressing the issues
Continuing to address blight and its effects is something both candidates agree needs attention.
“Our blight task force is overwhelmed,” Wollyung said of the board that ranks city properties and assigns conditions to them.
Wollyung admits “there is always room for improvement,” in making the city better, something he wants to continue to do.
Smith said blight is a “sickness” that needs a remedy.
Smith wants to see how he can strengthen the police department, although he admits there is only so much revenue available.
“Our public safety should be a top priority over almost everything,” he said.
The condition of the roads is also a concern, Smith said, adding he will work with the street department to see how they can improve city streets.
Revitalizing the city by bringing in more revenue and making it more attractive is also on his agenda.
Tom Smith is running for mayor of Pottsville, pictured Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Tom Smith
A retired financial advisor, the 63-year-old Smith admits he is late to entering the political scene, but that should not dissuade voters from choosing him, he said.
“I still want to give back to the community and this is the best way I think I can do it,” Smith said. “I need to change things.”
Smith said his time on the YMCA Board of directors has prepared him to be mayor, something he has been wanting to do for eight years.
He understands his lack of name recognition compared to Wollyung, but emphasized that it does not mean he isn’t involved in the community.
If elected, Smith said he will not accept a salary and instead donate it to a nonprofit, and sees city hall as having a disconnect with the residents and the businesses.
Pottsville City Council member Andy Wollyung is running for mayor, pictured outside City Hall Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Andy Wollyung
Wollyung, 41, said he is just thankful to be alive.
A health scare in February 2024 brought on by an infection of no known cause had him in the hospital and in a coma.
“In all reality, I should not be here,” Wollyung said. “Life is short and we need to do what is best with our time,” he said, adding he has no known lasting effects from the incident.
He is presently the chef and catering manager at the Washington Hotel in Minersville, and a part-time substitute at the Schuylkill Technology Center North Campus in Frackville.
Deciding to run for mayor is his way of giving back to the community after his health scare, he said.
Wollyung has been on council since 2024, having won election in November 2023. His familiarity with the city is a benefit, he said.
“It’s a dangerous thing to bring in somebody who does not know the city,” he said.
Election Day
The first step in the pursuit of the mayor’s office will be the May 20 primary, when voters will determine which candidates will appear on the ballot for municipal, county and state positions in the general election.
The general election is Tuesday, November 4.