Voters to choose new board of commissioners
Two
Much has been made of the number of hours a county commissioner works, primarily because there was a public outcry over current Commissioner
Critics called for his resignation, but he refused. No law requires a commissioner to be in the office any set number of hours. The only requirement for the job that pays nearly
Four of the five candidates promised to put other career interests aside to take on the commissioner role, using their skills in business and leadership to make
The candidates are:
Democrat
McGonigle said he thinks his business acumen and ability to deal with emergency situations position him to be an effective leader. He graduated from
He serves on the
"I had no political aspirations until recently. But the school board was a good experience for me and I saw a need at the county level and thought I could offer something," he said.
McGonigle said he thinks his work in the community with senior citizens is something he use to be an effective commissioner. "My work in the community with seniors will give me the necessary skills to help with our aging community," he said.
A former county commissioner, Democrat
Ammann said when he worked at Sharon Steel he was very active in assisting retirees with insurance and pensions and took classes dealing with
Before serving as a county commissioner, Ammann was the county's chief clerk for three years. He started an Internet Service Provider business with his brother but sold it in 2006. He's also worked as a project manager at
As a member of the
One of Beader's biggest accomplishments was working on the development of land at
Now that work has started to bring a sewer plant and system to the site, Ammann said he's rethinking his original bias. "Now that we have it, I think it's something that may work for the county. We have it. So now that will give us something to work with," he said.
Though he supports Gov.
He lives in
Republican Incumbent
McConnell also said he worked to prevent a
"It's been a privilege to serve and I hope to be re-elected. I think I've done a good job these first four years and I'd like to continue that work for the next four," he said.
McConnell, 48, has a master of business administration degree from
Founder and owner of Guardian Filtration Products, McConnell has 22 years of business experience in management, commercial lending, real estate, senior care and behavorial health.
McConnell said he considers being available to residents his first priority, while wearing several hats to boost economic and agricultural development. He noted the largest industry in
He likes to credit himself as willing to be the lone voice in any argument. "And if you can convince me with discussion and teaching me more about something, I'm willing to change my position. I want to understand everything I can on an issue and make decisions with as much information as I can gather.
He's also very much about drawing the community together to get things done. When vandals stole gates at the
McConnell lives in
Republican candidate
Boyd, a graduate of
If elected, Boyd, 60, promises he will look for efficiencies in the courthouse and ask employees to "do more with less."
His priority is to be part of a good team. "Three commissioners, all with different backgrounds, can work together to promote economic development and keep the families and the good communities we have. It's important to put
He's served on the
"My interest is in getting to know the details. I will study everything I need to learn and get my hands on it. I have a calm demeanor. I'm reasonable. If there are goals to reach, I can work to find a middle ground. I have a well-rounded background," he said.
"Being passionate about what you do matters. And I have a passion for good government," he said.
Independent candidate
"Residents deserve a qualified, alternative candidate, one who will work and represent them without any politicial bias. I will make decisions based on the best interest of the residents of
Employed at
Anderson, 50, is involved in the community, serving as president of VisitMercerCountyPA board of directors. During her tenure, she has worked to achieve her goal of having all areas of
She also serves on the boards of directors for
She was an honoree for the 2015 ATHENA International Established Leadership Award. She is active in the
As a single parent, Anderson said she understands the need for fiscal responsibility. "As in any family, sound fiscal responsibility is needed at the county level. Families struggle to pay the bills; county officials must be good stewards of the
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