Soloski Enters Race for County Commissioner

Halfmoon Township resident Joe Soloski has announced his candidacy for Centre County commissioner.

Soloski will seek a Republican nomination in the May primary election. In 2018, he ran as a Libertarian candidate for state representative in the 81st district, garnering 2.9 percent of the vote against Republican incumbent and victor Rep. Rich Irvin.

“I decided to run for office because I wanted to have a hand in enacting liberty-minded changes that I feel are so desperately needed at all levels of government,’ Soloski said in his campaign announcement. ‘Pursuing election for Centre County commissioner, as the liberty-minded Republican candidate, appeals to me as it will give me the opportunity to serve the people of Centre County from a liberty perspective; advocating for lower property taxes, working to cut the Centre County budget, and doing everything within my authority to advocate for the rights of the citizens of Centre County.”

An accountant who passed the CPA exam in 1985, Soloski operated his own accounting practice in the Pittsburgh area for 27 years before moving to Centre County in 2013. He said he hopes to decrease property taxes and wants to closely monitor county contracts to ensure taxpayer money is being spent wisely.

He also said he wants to see the county budget frozen and made more efficient, and to cut costs wherever possible.

‘I will lead this advocacy from the top, meaning that it starts with the Board of Commissioners,’ he said. ‘By that I mean I will be recommending that the commissioners take a 5 percent pay cut, each year, for at least the first four years that I am elected.”

Soloski added that he opposes the hotel occupancy tax increase approved by the commissioners earlier this month, and if elected he would draft an ordinance to repeal the hike.

He is holding a meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. Friday at Barrell 21 Distillery. Soloski lives in Halfmoon Township with his wife, Sally.

All three commissioners positions are up for election this year. On the Republican side, in addition to Soloski, incumbent Steve Dershem and former commissioner Vicki Wedler have announced their candidacies. Democratic incumbents Mark Higgins and Michael Pipe also are running for re-election.