Two face off for Monaca Council Ward 3 seat
MONACA — Two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat, are vying to represent Monaca’s 3rd Ward on borough council this November.
Democrat Joyce Tokar, 61, of 1033 Bechtel St. and Justin Wilson, 26, of 1116 Linden St., are in the final days of pitching their visions for the high-profile industrial hub to voters. Election Day is Nov 2.
Wilson, a small business consultant with ADP, moved to Monaca with his family in 2011 from southern California. The 2014 Central Valley High graduate played football and wrestled for the Warriors, spending his summers supervising local kids at the YMCA. After high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Westminster College while volunteering as a Monaca firefighter.
After spending a few years working in Washington, D.C., Wilson and his fiancée decided to return home to Monaca amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson’s professional career has equipped him for public office, he said, especially his past leadership role supporting entrepreneurs with nonprofit 1 Million Cups.
“I supported startup companies by providing them with networking resources and constructive feedback to guide their trajectory in the right direction,” he said.
If elected, Wilson said his top priorities are focusing the borough’s business development strategies and improving residents’ quality of life.
“I plan to advocate for our residents and be the innovative representative,” he said. “I believe one of the challenges our community faces is we lack business involvement and a growing entrepreneurial culture that our families can thrive in.”
Democrat Tokar is a lifelong resident of Monaca, having lived in all three of the borough’s wards.
The recently retired legal secretary worked in the Beaver County Public Defender’s Office for 18 years. Before that, she worked in the county’s Recorder of Deeds Office for five years.
She has an associate’s degree in accounting and business management from the Community College of Beaver County, where she also worked in the physical plant. She served as treasurer on a state campaign last year, further encouraging her to become involved in public service.
“The issues I am concerned about are most likely the same as many other residents,” she said. “Water quality, garbage collection, roads, ordinances, the fire department merger, recreation and resources in Monaca.”
To hear more from Beaver County candidates, visit the Times’ voters guide online.