Ups And Downs Of Upper Darby
By Bob Small
The mayor’s race in Upper Darby has had numerous twists and turns. Incumbent Barbarann Keffer was arrested on Jan. 26 and charged with driving under the influence.
Since then, she has spent time in an alcohol rehabilitation program. She believes her drinking problem began during her time at Harvard, where she earned a degree in government.
On Feb. 7, Council President Brian Burke, citing a provision in the Upper Darby Charter, declared himself mayor while Ms. Keffer was undergoing alcoholism treatment.
Burke was not successful in his claim.
Mayor Keffer, a Democrat, had long been battling Burke, also a Democrat, along with councilmembers Matt Silva and Laura Wentz, also Democrats.
The Upper Darby Democratic Party had on July 28 taken Mayor Keffer’s side and issued a letter of condemnation against her three opponents.
The letter also criticized a perceived delay in the dispersion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
It’s penultimate paragraph read: Ensure that Brian Burke, Laura Wentz, and Matt Silva do not hold elected office as Democrats again in Upper Darby Township
On March 2, Burke, a life-long Democrat, became a Republican to run for mayor.
Ms.. Wentz is on the primary ballot as an independent Democrat, battling Edward Brown, the endorsed Democratic candidate. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Wentz has served as president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). She graduated cum laude from Rider Univesity in 1993 with a B.A. in theater, and since 2002 has been a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local # 8. She is also a founding member of Delco Now.
The endorsed Democratic candidate is Edward Brown, president of the Upper Darby School District Board of Directors. An employee of Lockheed Martin as a Cybersecurity Engineering Manager. His masters degree from Drexel University is in Cybersecurity and Business Administration. He is the father of three children.
Crime is an issue in the race. On April 21, Michael Garr, a 15-year-old, 10th grader at Upper Darby High School, was fatally stabbed in 200 block of Bridge Street.
