Rogan To Face Political Newcomer in GOP’s Ladenheim

For Lower Merion Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan, who won her party’s nomination for a third term in Tuesday’s primary, the worst part is over—for now.

That would be the politics. There will be plenty of that later this year, though, as she is challenged for her Ward 7 spot (one of three Wynnewood districts) by Republican Beth Ladenheim, who ran unopposed on Tuesday.

“I don’t feel like a politician, so I get kind of nervous,” Rogan said in an interview Wednesday afternoon, speaking about the primary. “It’s tough to run for office, but people were very supportive.”

Though it was the first time Rogan faced a challenger in the Democratic primary, she didn't need to be very nervous, as it happened, easily beating Ted Erfer with 69 percent of the vote (301 of 438 total cast).

“It was a long day,” she said, referring to the sparse number of voters. “The weather had a lot to do with the turnout, not surprisingly I guess, but kind of disappointing just the same.”

Rogan, 52, is seeking her third term on the board. In January, she was elected by her colleagues to be the body’s president after the departure of Bruce Reed. As she prepares to battle Ladenheim in the general election, November 1 promises to be much livelier day.

“Her issues are budget spending things and transparency, two things I know the Republicans in general are going to focus on,” Rogan said, adding that she tends to agree with much of what Ladenheim, also 52, has talked about publicly.

Ladenheim, a dance fitness instructor, doesn’t see it that way. “I do think that [Rogan] is part of the problem,” she said. “The major issue is the overspending in the township. People are fed up. Taxes are up more than 60 percent in the past eight years.”

In other words, for as long as Rogan has been in office. Ladenheim said she believes Rogan wishes to hike taxes even higher than recent increases, and worries about the Board instituting an income tax. “Even though it’s legal, it’s going to end up costing people more,” she said. “Finances are finite—it’ll drive businesses out, and people won’t want to live here anymore. Home values have already declined several percentage points.”

“Certainly after all these years, I have a lot more experience, but our neighbors will decide,” Rogan said, as she prepared for last night’s Board of Commissioners meeting. “The League of Women Voters usually sponsors a debate, and I’m appreciative to the League and really looking forward to having that.”

Rogan, a former director of the township’s Department of Planning and Community Development (now Building and Planning) said she’s trying to increase income from taxes through redevelopment—by helping to move along the cause of re-zoning parts of City Avenue for what she considers long-overdue improvements.

“We really need to diversify that tax base and have people invest in their properties,” Rogan said. “The other end [of City Avenue], where the high-rises are, is totally built out. Nothing big has been built since the ’70s. It’s either that or continue to get Taco Bell.”

Meanwhile, Ladenheim knows she has an uphill fight. As if unseating an incumbent weren’t tough enough, Rogan has the high profile of the Board’s presidency behind her.

Additionally, after a century or more of Republican control at every level of government, Lower Merion Township has been swinging considerably to the left for a decade now (or, if not necessarily left, nonetheless definitely Democratic). In fact, Rogan said that when she was elected seven and a half years ago, it was the first time ever that the township’s Board of Commissioners had a Democratic majority, which it has held since then.

“I’m not political per se,” Ladenheim said. "But I’ve always been interested in politics, and I think politics infiltrates every part of our life nationally, and of course locally we’re definitely affected by it.”

Regarding the current Board of Commissioners, she said that current “sunshine” laws need to be brought to bear.

“There just has not been transparency—it’s been a major problem,” Ladenheim said. “I’d change that, so that we’re not having backroom deals, and not having things worked out ahead of time and then just presented at public meetings.”

Rogan said it’s a little early to discuss the general election campaign, but said, “I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing—meeting even more constituents, doing meet-and-greets that neighbors will sponsor for me, and going door-to-door.”