All eight Republican and five Democratic primary candidates for the Centre County Board of Commissioners assembled Tuesday evening, touting their local ties and management approaches.
They fielded questions for nearly 90 minutes in a public Candidates’ Night event — put on by the League of Women Voters, held in the State College Municipal Building, and recorded for distribution via C-NET.
‘I’ve been able to balance a lot of budgets without raising taxes,’ former county commissioner Chris Exarchos, of College Township, said during the GOP portion of the event. Also a former township council member, Exarchos said he would look for efficiencies in county government.
He stressed the difference between ‘needs and wants,’ and said he would like to see if the projected $20 million cost for the county’s planned new 911 system can be reduced.
Candidate Sue Mascolo, another Republican and former commissioner, said she doesn’t ‘think it’s the right year for us to think about spending $20 million. … We do want to see a good 911 system, but we’re also concerned about the budget.’
The last thing a commissioners board wants ‘to do is cut staff,’ Mascolo, of Ferguson Township, said. But she said she has experience in that realm — reducing employee ranks — which could be useful if the county needs to take that step in tough times.
Republican candidate and Howard resident Hope Miller, who is a Centre County jury commissioner, said she would bring a common-sense approach to budgeting. She emphasized her 18 years as an elected official.
‘You can’t spend more than you take in,’ Miller said, soon adding: ‘Our residents can’t afford any more taxes at this time.’
Mark Milliron, another Republican candidate from College Township, suggested that perhaps the county can limit its expenditures on 911 upgrades by consolidating efforts with nearby entities. His leadership style is to listen and ’empower people to do their jobs,’ he said.
‘I don’t think there’s anybody in either party I couldn’t work with,’ Milliron said.
Incumbent two-term commissioner Steve Dershem, a Bellefonte Republican, said that he, as a political minority on the board, often plays ‘devil’s advocate’ in board discussions. He underscored his ‘knowledge and experience’ as assets to the county.
He said the county government will likely need to find new efficiencies in the future.
Republican Bob Selego, a first-time political candidate from Centre Hall, said he’s spent two years learning about local government. His goal is to represent all residents, he said.
He would try to collaborate with Penn State to encourage more companies to locate in Centre County, Selego said.
‘I’m a big-table person,’ he said, adding that he would reach out to collaborate across county government. ‘I’m qualified; I’m prepared; and I really do want to be a part of Centre County leadership. I think together we can do this.’
Another Republican candidate, Daniel Pytel, of Union Township, said he would like the commissioners to hold one evening meeting each month, to make the proceedings more accessible to the public. (Most public commissioners meetings right now are held on Tuesday mornings.)
Pytel said the board would benefit from more community input. He also would like the county government to embrace long-range financial planning — something that he said seems to be lacking right now.
‘I’d fight for the individual,’ Pytel said of his priorities.
Chip Aikens, a Bellefonte Borough Council member, is the other Republican candidate. He said he’d bring to the table relationships that he has formed across the county.
He also said significant declines in funding may necessitate some ‘very difficult decisions’ at the county level. He underscored that Centre Countians are ‘very generous and giving.’ And he pledged to serve only two terms if elected.
On the Democratic side, incumbent commissioners board Chairman Jon Eich, of State College, said the county’s primary role is as a human-service agency.
Being a commissioner is ‘truly a full-time job’ that requires night and weekend work, Eich said. He said that ‘teamwork is more than attitude; it is coming to work ready to do the job that’s necessary, to make the decisions that are necessary and to be innovative in your approaches.’
Democratic candidate David Koll, a College Township Council member, said the county can serve as an advocate for local townships — including as they face Marcellus Shale-related impacts.
He said he’s running for commissioner not because he needs a job, but because he can bring business expertise and county knowledge to the board. ‘If you keep working hard, you’ll have the opportunities I did to excel,’ Koll said.
Jeff Steiner, a Bellefonte-area Democratic candidate and Bellefonte school-board member, said he thinks some ‘oxygen and energy’ have been ‘sucked out of the county’ in recent years. He would like to see all ‘oars rowing in the same direction.’
County government, Steiner said, has the ability to strengthen the local quality of life.
Incumbent commissioner Rich Rogers, another Bellefonte-area Democrat, said he prefers face-to-face interaction over e-mail communication. It’s healthy that there’s disagreement on the board, but ‘teamwork is essential,’ he said.
‘That is something I do approach with my mentality,’ Rogers said. ‘ … I will continue to provide common-sense leadership, fiscally responsible leadership.’
He said he would lead with integrity.
Michael Pipe, a State College resident, is the other Democratic commissioner candidate. He said he thinks the county government can do a lot to encourage economic development, and can affect people’s day-to-day lives.
‘I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to listen, and I’m willing to fight for the people of Centre County,’ Pipe said. He would like the commissioners board to meet in different parts of the county, he said, as a means to engage more people in the proceedings.
Each of the three full-time county-commissioner seats pays $70,000 a year. The commissioners serve four-year terms; all of the seats are in play in 2011.
On primary election day — May 17 — voters in each party will pick two nominees to appear on the general-election ballot in November.
The complete recording of the Tuesday forum will appear on CGTV (Comcast channel 7) and on C-NET’s website. (The website also will post times when the recording will appear on CGTV.) Attendance at the forum was perhaps 50 people in all.
Another League of Women Voters-hosted Candidates’ Night event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St. Primary candidates for State College Borough Council, the State College school board and county judge will appear then.
Earlier coverage
