Johnstown's 'direction' motivates David Vitovich to run for council again

David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 4—When he first joined the City of Johnstown's council in 2013, David Vitovich said, he had a simple goal: to help the city.

Over the past year, Vitovich said council finally has the right mix of people and the financial footing to make it happen.

"Everybody has a different hat, and when a problem arises, there's always someone at the table who can figure out how to fix it," he said.

"I'm not a numbers guy, but I spent my career on the public works department and that's still one of my main focuses. If I don't have an answer for someone, I know how to get it."

Vitovich, 72, worked 35 years with the department before retiring.

A West End resident, he is running for a third term in office.

"I like the way Johnstown is headed right now," he said, confident the city has turned a corner. "When I see all of the people coming downtown around Christmastime, attracting crowds of people again, you can see the hard work ... is paying off."

He praised the efforts of grassroots groups and economic development-minded community members for leading that charge. He cited the Vision Together 2025 effort, Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and others for creating a new momentum for the town and said city government is finally in position to take some progressive steps as well.

The city sold its sewer collection system to Greater Johnstown Water Authority for $24 million in June — a move that enabled the city to eliminate $2 million or more in the annual budget through reduced pension obligations.

Vitovich said that will give the city "wiggle room" it hasn't had in years, enabling the city to tackle blight, a main concern, and to invest in its own police and road crew departments again, among other steps.

"We have a little bit of money now to make a difference now," he said.

Vitovich said he has fond memories of Johnstown's "good old days," when people packed into Glosser Brothers and Bethlehem Steel employed thousands. But that doesn't stop him from recognizing the changes Johnstown is undergoing today — efforts that are filling up downtown storefronts that were previously vacant and bringing people back to the area.

"I think one of the biggest obstacles right now is ... the negative people. There's just a negative mentality with some people," he said.

"There's a lot of good things happening here. COVID(19) set us back a little bit, but we're going to be making progress again, and I'm glad to be a part of it."