Please visit my Web site at marioscavello.com.

Rep. Mario M. Scavello was first elected to represent the people of the 176th Legislative District in a special election held April 23, 2002. He is now serving his second full term. The district he represents is comprised of part of Monroe County consisting of the townships of Coolbaugh, Jackson, Paradise, Pocono and Stroud (districts 02, 03 and 04) and the boroughs of East Stroudsburg, Mount Pocono and Stroudsburg.

Since his election to the state House, Scavello has been a steadfast advocate of school property tax reform. He crafted the Scavello Tax Reform Plan, which would totally eliminate school property taxes and nuisance taxes used to pay for education by lowering and broadening the state sales tax. The measure was amended into Senate Bill 854 and passed the full House. If fully implemented, it would save homeowners 45 percent on their annual school property tax bill. It is now in the Senate Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.

Two bills he sponsored that will save taxpayers money have become law during the 2005-06 legislative session. House Bill 176 (Act 40 of 2005) calls on the Department of Revenue to collect any unpaid local realty transfer tax, plus any penalties and interest, at the same time that the Department collects the Commonwealth’s portion of the tax. House Bill 750 (Act 41 of 2006) increases the compulsory arbitration level in civil cases to $50,000 in all counties, which enables civil matters to be resolved out of court, saving the county the time and expense of litigating.

Scavello has been appointed to serve as a member of the following committees: Finance, Appropriations, Tourism and Recreational Development and Transportation. In 2005, he was appointed as a subcommittee member of the Sales Tax Initiatives Subcommittee of the House Finance Committee during the Special Session on Property Tax Relief. He is also a member of the House Policy Committee

Throughout his years of public service, Scavello has awarded a total of $200,000 from his own salary for scholarships to college-bound students and savings bonds to middle school students who make the honor roll. In 2006, he awarded 78 Monroe County students entering college with $200 each – a total of $15,600 – to help pay for college and donated $14,050 in savings bonds (which will double in value at maturity) to 6th graders who made the honor roll.

Scavello was honored this year with a Clara Barton Award for his service to the Red Cross as board member, telethon volunteer and state and local level advocate. He has also been named a board member of the statewide United Way of Pennsylvania.

A small businessman, former mayor and Monroe County Commissioner, Scavello is very active on the local level as a community leader. Scavello is the former mayor of Mount Pocono, and former chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.

He is active in many organizations including: the Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club and Sons of Italy. Scavello serves as a board member to United Way of Monroe County and the American Red Cross of Monroe County, Northampton Community College Advisory Board, Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Pocono Family YMCA, and the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging. His past commitments included leadership positions with athletic associations, a police commission, conservation districts, and mental health and retardation association.

A graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Bronx, New York, Scavello also attended the City University in New York. He was named Monroe County “Citizen of the Year – 1997” by the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce; received the “1998 Liberty Bell Award,” a state award given by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division; named “1998 Citizen of the Year” by the Pocono Mountain Lions Club; and appointed Legislative Fellow to East Stroudsburg University in 2005.

He has been married to his wife Mary Ann for more than 30 years and has two grown daughters, Michelle and Melissa.