Scranton’s mayoral candidates offered contrasting views of the city during a debate at the University of Scranton Thursday night.
Republican nominee Trish Beynon and Independent candidate Gene Barrett said crime is the city’s biggest issue and depicted a community with rising crime and crumbling streets.
Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, replied by pointing to the "millions" of dollars her administration has spent improving those and other areas, describing Scranton as a place where people want to invest.
Candidate Rik Little, the AAAMission from God party candidate, answered most questions with personal anecdotes about his experiences with homelessness and eviction.
The debate, held in the PNC Auditorium of Loyola Science Center, lasted about an hour before a crowd of more than 150 people.
Brian Snee, director of the University's Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service, moderated the debate, with questions posed by three journalists: WVIA News' Borys Krawczeniuk, Elizabeth Haikes of FOX56 and the Times-Tribune’s Donnie Collins.
Crime in focus
“Crime has increased over the past few years,” Beynon said. “It concerns me. It concerns my neighbors. I definitely think we have to back the blue as much as possible. They're doing a fantastic job, but they can always use a little bit more support from the city of Scranton and the city administration.”
Cognetti highlighted her administration’s investment in policing, saying there’s no evidence of a spike in crime.
“I'm not sure where the people up here with me are getting their crime stats,” Cognetti said. “We do not have an increase in crime. We have an extraordinary record of combating crime here in Scranton and an incredible police department that we support fully and continue to add to the tools.”
When pressed, none of the candidates could point to evidence proving that crime in the city has increased. Beynon cited a New York Post piece from 2024 that suggested increasing crime rates. Reviewed by WVIA, that piece did not cite sources for its contentions about Scranton crime statistics.
Cognetti said “proactive policing” has been a priority for her administration.
“You might see more incidents. That's because we are more proactive in our policing. That's because we have great training. We are going out there on the beat. We have more police on the beat, and we're able to proactively be in the city,” Cognetti said when asked later about crime.
Scranton city streets
All candidates acknowledged the streets have potholes.
“Right now, the repairs, maybe they last a couple weeks, couple months, as soon as it snows, the next thing you know, the roads are torn up again. We need to work with everybody involved, and also the utility companies. They come in and they'll rip something up right after it gets done. There's no coordination. Coordination is key. It needs to keep be done. It starts at City Hall,” Beynon said.
Cognetti said her administration invested $9 million into paving.
“Paving a road is very expensive. We’d love to pave everybody's road every few years. It's just not possible. But we do the very best we can, and we do it based on the issues that come before us,” Cognetti said.
She noted the city’s online pothole reporter and investment into street safety.
Stormwater projects in Scranton
Barrett said the city’s infrastructure is “collapsing.”
“It's common knowledge that the infrastructure in the city of Scranton is well over 100 years old,” Barrett said.
Beynon criticized the mayor’s current use of American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA), saying they could be better used for stormwater repairs.
“That money is there, it's usable, and it should be used in a different avenue than the walkability study. I think that would be a fantastic idea. The roads are the most important thing. I think we can hold off on the other bicycle paths,” Beynon said.
Cognetti pointed to the use of $25 million, or about a third of the funds, to stormwater projects.
“These are legacy stormwater issues that have been untouched. We are doing the hard work. It is hard. It requires incredible project managers. We work with the state, we work with all of the partners that we can both on the public side and the private side and the governmental side to make sure that we can get these things done. When it comes to infrastructure, we take it very, very seriously,” she said.
Scranton’s future
Cognetti said her administration rebuilt the city government after her predecessor “had gone to prison for corruption.”
“This is a place on the rise. It is a place to move forward as a place to raise your family. It's a place to move your business. The people that are on this stage with me tonight would take us right back to where we were,” she said.
Barrett highlighted his experience as a former city council member, saying, “My public and private sector experience supersedes any of the people sitting to my left.”
“I'm here to be your mayor,” Barrett said during his closing speech. “I'm not trying to propel myself to a higher position in government. I want to be your mayor. I'm fully qualified, fully experienced. I'm feeling capable of representing the voters of Scranton and all the residents to make Scranton a proud place that everyone would want to live, work and enjoy their daily lives in the city of Scranton.”
Beynon said she’s lived in the city for 34 years and wants to improve it.
“I definitely know the pain and struggles that the city of Scranton residents are seeing with the blight in their area, the housing and I know that we could all do better. We just have to have the right leadership. I'm the right person for the job,” Beynon said.
Other topics:
- When asked about homelessness, Barrett said: “The homeless need to get a job. They need to work. Social services are there for them to provide for them. We can't have people who choose to be homeless. A lot of people that are out on the street choose to be homeless that we can't help. Little, who identified himself as homeless, spoke about his struggles since being evicted.
- Cognetti accused Barrett of allowing “toxic waste” to run underneath Scranton’s Green Ridge neighborhood. Barrett responded, “You better be careful what you're saying here, Mayor.”
- A protester interrupted Cognetti’s time with shouts of “Free Palestine." The individual was escorted out by law enforcement.
