1. Provide a brief professional and personal background.
I was born and raised in Clearfield. I graduated from the Clearfield Area High School in 1992 and Penn State (computer science) in 1997. After three years in the Washington, D.C. area, I moved back to take over the family insurance business, which I still own today. I served on the Clearfield Area School Board from 2007 – 2013, with the last four-plus years being as the president. For the past four years, I’ve lived in Dubois with my wife and our four boys.
2. Why did you choose to run for the office of Clearfield County Commissioner?
I feel a need to give back to the community I love. I see problems, for sure, but also see great potential. This is a fantastic area to raise a family; we just have to make it more attractive for businesses, so our local sons and daughters can find good jobs without moving away.
3. What qualifies you to serve in the capacity of Clearfield County Commissioner?
I have been a successful business owner for 10-plus years. I understand managing employees, budgeting and fiscal responsibility. During my time on the school board, I picked up several skills, which I believe are essential to the task. For example, I negotiated several contracts with various unions/associations, and I led our board through some very difficult decisions. I enjoyed the collaborative process and I think that what I’ve learned can help the county move forward.
4. Do you feel that the county is transparent enough? If not, what needs to change?
Honestly – no. I’ve been talking to people around the county, both within and outside of government, and a common refrain is that there’s not enough transparency. Lots of the county’s issues require money to solve – this is NOT one of them. We must work to create a culture of trust, better communication and a welcoming attitude toward public input. For starters, I’d vote to move some public meetings to evenings to better enable those with day jobs to come share their thoughts.
5. If elected, how would you reach out and form relationships with citizens of Clearfield County? How would you reach out to those citizens in the outlying areas of the county?
I’ve already begun this process. To date, I have visited 26 of our 49 municipalities, and I have a schedule laid out to visit the rest. If elected, I have also pledged to revisit every single one of those municipalities in the next two years.
Attending those meetings and listening to the concerns of the council members/supervisors has been one of the best learning experiences I’ve had over the past four months.
I’d also invite the other commissioners to join me, and if the municipalities would advertise our coming, then perhaps we could have a series of ‘mini town hall’ meetings.
Ideally, that would generate some great dialogue with the citizens. You cannot possibly understand the needs of Beccaria or Gulich or Glen Hope while sitting in Clearfield.
6. If elected, what measures would you take to ensure the efficient operation of Clearfield County?
I prefer a ‘hands-on’ management style, especially when it comes to finances. I plan to become thoroughly familiar with each department in the county, and to learn precisely what their strengths and weaknesses are. I’d expect the commissioners to work closely with every department to find ways to become more efficient.
I’d also work with the municipalities to see what possibilities exist for combining redundant functions and sharing expenses. If we all work together, I’m sure we can save taxpayer dollars without sacrificing important programs.
7. If elected, what measures would you take to generate economic development opportunities for Clearfield County?
I’ve made contact with Clearly Ahead Development to learn more about its plan and operation. I also plan to discuss this issue with surrounding counties.
I’m a big believer in a regional economic approach and in order to compete with cities and more urban areas, we need to develop strong partnerships with other rural counties.
We should not be competing county-versus-county because that only hurts us. We have to play to our strengths – natural resources, low cost of living, family-friendly communities, etc.
We also need to address the blight problem in Clearfield County. Reducing blight will increase property values and entice more business to our area.
8. How would you fight the drug epidemic currently facing the county? How would you reduce costs, specifically in relation to the operations of the county jail?
This problem needs to be attacked on several fronts. I’ve spoken with law enforcement officials throughout the county, I’ve spoken with recovering addicts and I’ve spoken with addiction experts.
First of all, the problems with the county jail need to be addressed immediately. At the very least, a renovation is overdue, and I think a strong case can be made for an expansion, as well.
Spending our tax dollars to house inmates in other counties – rather than to pay our local wardens and guards – seems like a poor use of resources.
At the same time, we need to make education a priority. For our youth, educate them to keep them from trying these drugs and for adults so that they are aware of the dangers of prescribed opioids. We have to de-stigmatize addiction and learn how to successfully treat it.
In terms of treatment, there’s not a ‘one size fits all’ magic bullet. Each drug requires a specific treatment regimen, and counseling is a big part of successful recovery.
In the short term, I don’t think decreasing spending on the problem is very likely. When a fire is raging, you don’t turn down the water flow to the hoses.
I think we need to fight for more funding from – state and federal sources – to help offset local costs, and develop a long-term, sustainable plan to manage the issue.
9. If elected, what would be your top priority as Clearfield County Commissioner?
The top priority has to be the budget. We aren’t the federal government, we can’t run deficits, and we have to get ‘in the black’ quickly. The jail and the drug epidemic are a close second in my mind. Once we get those issues under control, we can begin to look further ahead at long-term goals.
10. What are the greatest challenges facing Clearfield County? If elected, what measures would you propose to resolve them?
To recap, I think the greatest challenges are:
-the budget;
-the drug crisis;
-the issues at the county jail;
-transparency and communication throughout the county; and
-economic development.
I’ve detailed some possible solutions above, but let me add that I’m a big believer in collaboration. Great ideas can come from anywhere, and – especially at the local level – political affiliations should not matter. Once the election is over, I’d hope that we can all work together, regardless of party, to tackle these issues head-on.