County Commissioner-elect Dale Pinkerton has summed up correctly the situation he and fellow incoming Commissioner James Lokhaiser face between now and when they begin their terms in January.

"It's going to be like a full-time job," Pinkerton said, referring to the less than two months he and Lokhaiser have to familiarize themselves with all aspects of the county government.

Lokhaiser and Pinkerton won't have the luxury of having two incumbents serving as mentors until they get firmly planted in their new roles. They will have to have a firm grasp of virtually everything that's happening in the county government so they will be able to make important, knowledgeable decisions from the get-go on the three-member board.

To their credit and to the county's benefit, both newcomers have been attending various meetings, so they've seen the Commissioners Office in action. In the less than two months until they take office, they will have to build upon that basic knowledge of the county's workings by pursuing details on unfinished business and new business that lies ahead.

Presumably all department heads, other county officials and employees will give Pinkerton and Lokhaiser the kind of cooperation they will need to become highly informed.

The major issue facing the new commissioners from the start will be the 2008 county budget. They will have to decide whether it is acceptable to them, or whether they wish to reopen the spending package and make changes.

During his successful election campaign, Pinkerton often stated that he would be willing to reopen the budget if he deemed it to be in the best interests of the county.

The county's 2007 budget totals $189 million. The county employs 820 people.

Not only will Pinkerton and Lokhaiser have to deal with information that crosses their desks at the government center, but they will have to get up to speed on the county's contacts and workings with various organizations that don't operate within the courthouse and government center walls.

One of the most important is the multi-county regional planning agency through which highway and other projects are reviewed. In addition, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania will be a valuable resource not only for Pinkerton and Lokhaiser, but also for veteran Commissioner James Kennedy, who was re-elected on Nov. 6.

Both commissioners-elect have said they will be attending workshops and conferences dealing with county government. The more information they will be able to digest over the next eight weeks, the easier their transition into their new responsibilities will be.

Part of that information-gathering will come by way of visits to all county facilities. The new prison and the soon-to-be-completed renovated Sunnyview Home will provide many opportunities for Lokhaiser and Pinkerton to ask questions in the weeks and months ahead.

One important decision with which the two new commissioners will be faced will be whether to enforce a provision of the prison construction contract that calls for financial penalities tied to the delay of the project.

The current board indicated that the provision would be enforced.

The project, originally slated for completion last month, won't be finished until about mid-2008, and it could be next fall or later until the new prison is in full operation.

For students, "cramming" is associated with final exams. For Lokhaiser and Pinkerton, the word is applicable to their preparation for serving the best interests of the taxpayers.

Based on many of the things they said during the campaign and what they've said since being elected, it would seem that they are determined to make the transition in the Commissioners Office as smooth and efficient as possible.

To do that, they'll have to be ready for important decision making from their first day on the job.