Brian Kelly is pleased to make the body of research work and planning that he has posted on his website -- www.brianwkellyformayor available to all of the other candidates for Mayor. Though he hopes to lead Wilkes-Barre for the next four years, Brian is happy to make his ideations available for the good of the city. As an IT specialist, websites are a natural form of expression for him. Go take a look at the website when you have a chance.

“All candidates who like my platform have my express permission to use my research and plans in any way seen fit to help the City. I am interested in a return to good government for Wilkes-Barre, and even if not chosen, I would be happy for all candidates to use my hard work to help our city move along in a positive direction.”

Kelly is running for Mayor in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. The 66-year old IT Consultant, author, IBM Systems Engineer and Professor announced his intentions to run at a press conference 5:00 PM Friday November 14, 2014 at Keats, 115 Bowman Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA

“I have made the decision… I am running for Mayor as a JFK Democrat.  I am running for Mayor of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. With your help in 2015, I will be elected Mayor of Wilkes-Barre. And won’t that be something?

“I know that I can get Wilkes-Barre back on the right track. We have lost our way. We need help from somebody not part of the political system. I believe that I am that somebody,” Kelly added. 

Kelly cited that one of the most poignant reminders of Wilkes-Barre’s decline is the startling absence of the once venerated Hotel Sterling.  He noted other reminders of what he called: “symptoms of a malaise that did not have to be and does not have to continue… Politics as usual!” 

At one time, the Sterling was Wilkes-Barre’s largest and most luxurious hotel, and its guests included movie stars and nationally known politicians.  As commonly known, the Hotel Sterling stood at River and Market streets for more than a century, hosting weddings, proms, and welcomings for dignitaries including President John F. Kennedy, Louis Armstrong and Danny Thomas.

For years before it was torn down, over six million dollars of taxpayer dollars were invested-- yet none of it somehow was directed for a simple roof repair that would have kept this great edifice alive until it could have been restored.  Six million, nonetheless is in somebody’s pocket. But, whose?

Having spent time analyzing the Wilkes-Barre budgets after the 26% tax increase, Kelly expressed outrage that after begging for the increase, City Officials chose to give all employees, including the Mayor, a 3% raise in 2014 and they have another big raise scheduled for 2015, “Who do Wilkes-Barre politicians really serve?”

Everybody, including Wilkes-Barre City employees deserve a nice wage but Wilkes-Barre is a thread away from being a distressed city, and that would mean many city jobs and city services would be lost. Meanwhile, with 27% of the population struggling below the poverty line, our citizens are hoping to keep expenses down to avoid having the city foreclose on their homes for property tax delinquency.

Kelly made a really big point at his press conference of presenting one of his major goals that “nobody will lose their home because of city taxes during my entire four year administration.” 

Kelly’s rationale for running is fully charted on www.briankellyformayor.com. The Kelly campaign has three prongs” “We need a safe city, an affordable city, and a clean city. We have none of these benefits today.  My plan will help give us all three. It is fully explained on the web site.” Kelly said.

Kelly believes a safe city is number one and he gives many reasons why the people think Wilkes-Barre is no longer safe. He cited that County concealed carry permits are up 300%, and he noted an October 2013 newspaper article that showed that people in Wilkes-Barre are more likely to die by homicide than in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Chicago. Wilkes-Barre is no longer a safe city and Kelly’s number one goal is to make it safe again, and he knows how.

Kelly will hire a Public Safety Director to make sure that police are well trained and that procedures are established and followed. This is not symbolic. Nobody can know everything and so good managers hire the best in their field so that we get their expertise without giving up the ability to make the big decisions. Kelly will implement an automated complaint system in which citizens can express their opinions and their outrage about the city, its employees, or any other item that they feel we need to make Wilkes-Barre, safer, more affordable, and cleaner. The difference in the Kelly Administration is that there will be follow-through. Citizens will be heard, and their voices will go into the planning process, and the police process as needed.

Kelly has his choice—a professional with extensive experience in management at the State Police. He knows how to motivate police and assure they want to get up each morning ready to work for the good of the City. This former state policeman received many death threats in his time. Among other things, his plan is to start one neighborhood at a time and extirpate criminals to make the city safe for us all.   

Kelly also discussed the 911 Landlord Laws which are also known as nuisance or crime-free housing ordinances. These can be very powerful tools when used effectively to clean out bad areas such as Sherman Hills, which is both an unsafe area and a crime scene by itself.

“When I am Mayor of Wilkes-Barre, with Council’s help, we will aggressively use such laws to protect Wilkes-Barre citizens. We will not protect out of town landlords such as those who run Sherman Hills–Landlords that choose to pollute city neighborhoods. Bad guys will find it very uncomfortable to try to set up shop in Wilkes-Barre.” Kelly said.

Kelly also noted his plans to make the city more affordable and to make the city clean. All plans are detailed on his web site.

Kelly believes that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and the rest of the founders who built this nation did not intend for representatives and officials to beg the public for votes and run campaigns like as if they were shylocking products on late night TV.

“My campaign will not be on the ground knocking on doors and I will not have major fundraising dinners. I suspect most of you will be glad that I will not. Only politicians and those looking for political favors pay the huge price for those dinners anyway. Go to my website which has interactive articles, and talk to me about how you feel. Don't forget to invite me to your spaghetti dinners and church events and getting to know the candidate type affairs. I will come and I will tell you about what I have to offer Wilkes-Barre.   

“I am in it to win it is a catchy phrase but I mean it. However, my intention is to appeal to the people, not the leaders of the Democratic Party. I am a JFK Democrat but, much to my chagrin and your chagrin, the Democrat Party at the national level no longer thinks like JFK. They no longer think like the citizens of Wilkes-barre. In Obama’s six years, in order to get more underclass dependent voters, you know that Democrats have have given more and more American jobs to legal and illegal foreign nationals. They are for these new votes, not the votes of citizen Democrats such as you and I.

As you know, on November 20, 2014, the President made it even worse. He claims to have legalized more illegal alien job takers than all the jobs he took credit for creating in his entire six year administration so far. Of course such action is not good for America. It is not good for Wilkes-Barre. He broke Constitutional law to get it done, and he has begun to enjoy being an emperor; not a president. I am not for a Democratic party that tears our Constitution to shreds. We can make the party better by voting in candidates for the people, not the big shots. 

“In case you did not know this fact: only 2% of illegal aliens work on farms picking our crops.The rest have taken American jobs. They have taken your father’s and mother’s-- your uncles and aunt’s, and your children’s jobs. Would it not be nice if we could change the Democratic Party itself to be for Democrats such as us-- Wilkes-Barre’s American citizens? That is what I am all about. America first! Every other country comes in second place. Wilkes-Barre comes first. Every other city is in second place. No illegal immigrant will work for the City of Wilkes-Barre. Let me assure you that. We have enough Americans to fill all the jobs.

“Thankfully the Democrats in NEPA are not blindly following the president off a cliff as he destroys our country. Barack Obama is no JFK. Our country can do better than what we got with this prevaricator in chief. Our city can do better than what we got after twelve long years. I know I can help Wilkes-Barre return to its days of glory if you choose to elect me. I am a person who thinks more like JFK…just as you do!”

“I simply cannot spend my own money on my campaign as I did in 2010 when I took nothing from anybody. I surely do not want to poor mouth my candidacy, but this time, I just do not have it. The current Mayor will get a few hundred thousand dollars from some very good business friends but I will not. So, if you like my message and you want me to compete with yard signs, benches, radio ads, etc. to spread my message, I will definitely need your help. I won't be getting any big money from Leighton supporters. They think he will win again and they are placing their money where it can pay off for them.

If the people can spare a ten or a twenty, receiving such donations from a lot of supporters would surely help. The message on finances is simple: If you donate something small to my campaign online, I may be able to afford to get the word out in ways other than the Internet. Press the Donate button at www.briankellyformayor.com or just send a check to PO Box 2094, Wilkes-Barre. We will use it well, I assure you.

Kelly Has Never Held Public Office AND that IS Good!

In constructing his post press conference release, which he sent out November 16, 2014, Kelly added: “Everybody else of whom I am aware in this Mayoral race, has either held public office, currently is on City Council, or they are the current Mayor. Unlike all of them, I am a regular guy from the neighborhoods. I started out on High Street, then two different homes on Prospect Street in our city. These are not elite neighborhoods."

In the 1960's, a former Wilkes-Barre Record paper boy, from High Street received an Academic Scholarship to King's College and four years later was hired by the IBM corporation after graduating with honors. He then had a successful career as an IBM Senior Systems Engineer, a University Professor, and as the author of 59 books and hundreds of technical and patriotic magazine articles. Kelly is a product of the American Dream. His dream became reality.

"It should be this way for everybody and that is why we must take back the Democrat Party, starting in Wilkes-Barre PA. Democrats should be for US citizens, don’t you think?”

Kelly Understands Local Government Functions

“When I was with IBM, one of my application (app) specialties for the big mainframe machines was local government. I know what makes local government tick from top to bottom. It will be hard for anybody to fool me about what Wilkes-Barre City needs to be successful.”

Let me repeat: “I am not a politician. In fact, I take serious objection to the notion. Additionally, I am not a perennial candidate for any public office. I am like you, a citizen of Wilkes-Barre. Like you, I want our city to become a great place to live once again. If you think I have something to offer, vote for me in the primary in 2015. If you have some spare change, donate to my campaign at www.briankellyformayorcom. Or, you can send a check to PO Box 2094. Remember, you will not find me at your front door.

“But there will be others at your front door. Take the opportunity to ask those at your front door about how they will solve the problems, which we face every day! If they have served the city before, ask why things are not on their way to a solution and how will this time be better? By the speech I gave when I announced, along with the copious and detailed plans I have created and which are available for you to read on my web site, you know how I will address our problems. Together we will make our city safe, affordable, and clean.  God bless you all! And may God bless our wonderful city. 

“I ended my speech with-- Now, I will take a few questions--. I got a few and they were good-- all hoping I would put the boot on the bad guys in Wilkes-Barre. I will. But, I won’t be able to do that if the people of WB do not see me as a regular guy, hoping to make a difference.

“When you give a press conference or an interview, you never know how the resulting articles from the reporters will look. On Saturday morning, I was very happy with the TL and CV articles. They were written from interviews as well as from the speech of Friday, Nov. 14, 2014. I read the comments and some were quite positive and others were very negative. I welcome the scrutiny.  I can appreciate after being snookered so many times at the national, state, and local levels, the people of Wilkes-Barre are not buying anybody’s spiel to be their Mayor. We have a lot of doubting Thomas's and I think that overall is healthy as it means as a community, we want things to be better.  

“There are those for sure who will not like anybody who chooses to step up to the plate to help our city. If you run for office, you will be quickly labeled a politician, even if the day before, you were putting your yard waste to the curb just like everybody else. I understand that. I hope that over time, all citizens of Wilkes-Barre will spend some time getting to know me. I am making myself available for community events, and I am crafting my web site so that it reflects both who I am and what I plan to do when elected Mayor. 

"One of the notions that I picked up in the blogs and comments is the belief that anybody who wants to change Wilkes-Barre for the better must already be a politician with political and government experience because nobody else can handle the job. I submit that the last thing we need in Wilkes-Barre is another politician or anybody from the government. But, to help answer this concern, I have posted my detailed resume, which university professors, such as I refer to as curriculum vitae. It is in many ways a summary of my work life, experience, awards, publications, etc. I encourage you to look at it. It is right here on this site on the front page. 

"Like most people in Wilkes-Barre, I am a regular guy. I get my haircuts locally; I shop at the local grocery store and I do regular things. I do not think that being a regular citizen should preclude anybody from running for the office of Mayor or being your Mayor. l am very competent and I am confident about what to do to help Wilkes-Barre.  I plan to help build a better tomorrow today for Wilkes-Barre, my home town.

"I expected there would be those out there making caustic remarks and finding faults during my campaign and I expect that I will not please everybody during my run as Mayor. Go right ahead and complain. Thankfully, we live in a Democracy. Despite the current lack of confidence of a few, if given the opportunity, I know that I will be a very successful mayor for Wilkes-Barre. I will work hard for the good of all our citizens. For every Mr. Negative, I am encouraged that there are a ton or more Mr. Positives. Together we will bring back the glory days of Wilkes-Barre.  I thank all for caring enough to comment. All comments are good.    

“My campaign writer, Brian P. Kelly, my son, edited all of the non quoted parts of this essay. He is an attorney by trade and a great writer. He works with his brother Michael, the lead attorney from M.P. Kelly Law. If you would like to discuss anything about me or this article, he too would be happy to talk to you. Feel free to write either of us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. May God bless Wilkes-Barre and its citizens." 

“My campaign writer, Brian P. Kelly, my wonderful son, edited all of the non quoted parts of this essay. He is an attorney by trade and a great writer. He works with his brother Michael, the lead attorney from M.P. Kelly Law. If you would like to discuss anything about me or this article, he would be happy to talk to you. Feel free to write me or him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..