Three candidates are listed on the Republican ballot for their party's nomination in the primary for the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners.

There are three, four-year terms open on the board.

Incumbents Glenn Block and David Bond are seeking second terms.

Matt Mulqueen wants to fill the position of Dale Daubert, who chose not to run for re-election.

No candidates are running on the Democrat ticket.

Block, a certified public accountant, says his expertise in financial matters is an asset to his work as a commissioner.

His specialty is forensic accounting, which is the investigation of fraud.

Block wants to continue working with staff to move forward with the township's new accounting system to insure the chance of fraud is eliminated as much as it can be.

"We instituted new internal controls and procedures as a deterrent to fraud," Block says.

Block reports he has worked on the finance committee with Bond on a plan to use funds secured at a favorable interest rate for large capital purchases, such as fire trucks and public works vehicles.

"We want to stay in the confines of the budget to make sure we don't finance longer than the use of the asset," Block explains. "We want to review this on an annual basis to make sure the plan is working and we don't spend more money than we have."

Block reports his previous service on the zoning hearing board provided an understanding of the zoning and planning issues a commissioner needs to know.

David Bond, vice president of a transportation company, says he brings experience in business and emergency services to his role as commissioner.

Bond is a member of the finance committee.

"We take our fiduciary responsibility very seriously," Bond says. "Let's be fiscally responsible."

Bond, a certified medical technician, commends the efforts of volunteer firefighters and Cetronia Ambulance Corps personnel.

"We are desperate to get volunteers," Bond says. "We have to continue to support them and bring in recruits.

"We can work on incentive programs. There are a lot of different ways to reward them."

He says the recent update of township codes is a benefit to residents and businesses.

"We thought it through and modernized it," Bond says. "We made it better to do business here.

"Why does the inspection process have to be painful? Why does it have to talk down to people?

"We try to think about everybody in every decision we make. We have to treat everybody fairly."

Bond states he will continue to put his experiences in business and emergency service to use in his work as a commissioner.

"We want to leave this place better than we found it," Bond says.

Matt Mulqueen, senior project manager at HD Supply, Allentown, is retired from a 26-year career in the U.S. Army.

He has served on the South Whitehall Zoning Hearing Board since 2008.

"This is the best place to live in the Lehigh Valley," Mulqueen says." It's a very well run township and I want to continue that tradition."

Mulqueen says a paramount issue is to have a board that is fiscally responsible.

"Let's make sure money is spent in a very responsible way. Let's look for efficiencies in how we provide services to our township," Mulqueen said.

He observes present board members work very well together.

"We need to maintain a strong professional relationship with each other," Mulqueen says. "People expect a board that is open and accessible. We want to operate in the public eye and conduct business above board."