Reap
SCRANTON — Former Scranton City Councilman Brian Reap is running for Lackawanna County commissioner as a Republican in the May 16 primary.
Reap, 67, retired from the private sector late last year and by January was ready to jump into the political arena to help make a difference in his home community.
“Last time I held office was in 2002 as a city councilman,” he said. “Prior to that I served on the Scranton planning commission, I was a former board member of the United Neighborhood Council and Good Will Industries.”
Reap said following the Christmas season, his wife asked him what he was going to do with his extra time.
Reap pointed out that he didn’t hunt or fish, and that much of his time was spent employed in a supervisory role.
So, running for commissioner made sense.
“I thought if I was going to do anything, I would start at the top because that’s how I’ll have the most impact for the people I serve,” he said.
Reap said his platform is a simple one.
“You take my managerial skills and translate that into energy and a progressive platform,” he said. “The only goal I have is to improve the quality of life for families over the next four years.”
Reap said he will look at every facet of county government, starting with the contracts in place within the first 90 days.
“Then, I’m going to find out where we stand fiscally,” he said. “The last audit I’ve been able to get my hands on was 2021 and at that time, it looked like the county was in the red in excess of $108 million.”
Reap said he was withholding comment about taxation until he had a better picture of the financial health of the county.
Reap said he’d like the county to “put some energy” into Montage Mountain and McDade Park.
“I’d like to put some attention into our recreational facilities that we own, because what else are we going to offer our youth and where else are we going to make money,” he said.
Reap said he has some concerns for the prison, which he described as a “headache and an anchor” to the commissioners of the county for the last 40 years.
“If I could get out of the headache of operating that prison as a county, I certainly would put a lot of energy in that direction.”
If elected as a commissioner, he would take time and energy to accurately understand the county and immediately work to address financial and other issues of concern.
Reap is married with two adult children.
