James Butler - Candidate Questionnaire
What are the reasons you are running for county commissioner?
BUTLER: What really started this was, probably over a year ago, we were trying to create this municipal authority here, and we met with some of the other municipalities around us. We felt that it would be more beneficial if we had sort of a round table or a meeting at a neutral location so that it didn't look like it was just Prospect that was driving this.
I approached Commissioner Bill McCarrier about holding the meeting at the county courthouse. He said that he would take that to the other commissioners and see if it was all right. I got a call a couple days later; basically, they weren't interested in holding the meeting there. So, I felt that was a missed opportunity.
It made me question what other opportunities were out there that they were missing because I believe the role of the commissioner is to lead and that certainly wasn't showing leadership. You had municipalities interested in building infrastructure to create an environment to bring in development to help broaden the tax base, and they were nowhere to be seen. That was really why I decided to get involved with this.
What services should Butler County provide its senior citizens? Should its 10 senior centers remain open or should some or all be closed or consolidated?
BUTLER: I would love to know the genesis for this whole senior citizen issue because it's sort of sneaky how this all of a sudden came out as this big issue.
I don't really see it as an issue, per se. I believe it's very important, and we certainly need to keep these senior centers open. I believe they are assets to the community. I don't foresee seniors driving a long distance, especially in the winter time in inclement weather, to go down to Butler or even Cranberry Township.
I think it removes a certain flavor of the community when you close those facilities down. Until there's something black and white that says we cannot afford them or whatever, I think they should just stay open.
I don't know really why we're even thinking this is an issue. Obviously, as it was stated, the money that comes in to fund the centers comes from the state. Obviously, in the future there might be some cutbacks, and then we just need to get more creative; work in the local communities. Maybe we could set them up in municipal buildings, or libraries or churches; you know, reach out and try and find creative solutions.
I think maybe part of what's driving this was the feeling that they were being under-utilitized, that there weren't enough seniors there, especially the 60 to 70 age group. But, you look at your 60-year-olds today, and they are not the 60-year-olds of 20 years ago.
I work with a couple guys that are in their 60s and its amazing. When I was a kid, I thought 60 was old. I'm 55 now. It's like 60 isn't old to me. Fifty-five isn't old to me; I feel like I did when I was 35.
I think, maybe, just get the seniors involved more, see what they want in their own centers, and even talk to the managers that run the centers. I know, in talking to a manager of a particular center, I said, “Did the county agency ask you your opinion,” and she said no. So, I don't think that's right.
I think we all need to work together on this. Bottom line, no, I wouldn't close the centers.
What is your view of the county budget? Should revenue increase to meet rising costs or should expenses be cut? Explain your specific proposals.
BUTLER: As I stated the other night, we really have very little room to increase our millage rate, so obviously the only real way of increasing our revenue into the county is to broaden our tax base, to bring in more development; bring in more homeowners, businesses and things like that.
We certainly have to learn to live within our means. I mean, everybody goes through that; I do; you do. We're always looking at our expenses compared to how much money we bring in, and if we don't have it, we don't spend it.
I think that's the approach the county needs to take. If we don't have the money, then we don't spend it.
I know here in the borough when we do the budgets, we go through and we analyze. Is an item a like-to-have or is it a must-have? The must-haves get funded first and the like-to-haves, well, if we don't have the money, then we jus don't fund that. I think that's the approach the county needs to take also.
How much should the county commissioners and county residents be allowed to talk at commissioners meetings?
BUTLER: Obviously, you can't just have an open free-for-all. I think everyone should be entitled to speak at the meeting; residents that come before the commissioners. That time limit should be five minutes or 10 minutes. I probably don't have an issue with that.
In the borough at one time we didn't have a time limit and eventually we put in place a time limit because there were some residents that abused that privilege. I mean, it is a right. You have that right to speak. But, then again, you can't hold the floor and not be able to let your neighbors speak also, because then you're going to be going hours in a meeting. I can see at least five minutes, five to 10 minutes per person.
I believe it's important even for the commissioners. They should be communicating to the public at every opportunity that they get as to what is going on in the county.
One of the issues I hear, going door-to-door campaigning, is that folks say that they're not hearing enough from the commissioners as far as what is happening pertaining to issues. Obviously, the whole thing with the senior centers that has gotten blown so far out of proportion because they're not out in front of this communicating. They're just saying that they are looking into this; nothing has been decided. Well, why were you even looking into it in the first place? That's pretty much how I look at it.
Explain what you think should be the role of the county commissioners in their oversight of county agencies such as the housing and redevelopment authority, the county industrial board, the tourism bureau, the planning commission?
BUTLER: I believe anytime there is taxpayer money involved, I think the county commissioners should serve a role of oversight. It's part of their responsibility.
I think the role of being a commissioner is to be a leader and a visionary, and I think it's important to go out and engage these different groups. Get a pulse as to what is happening, what are the issues that they see. We can't operate in a vacuum. We have to get out there and be involved and listen. I talk about active listening; meeting people, really paying attention to what they are saying and really considering what that means to them and what that means for the county.
Not everyone has all the answers. What I've always encountered is, sometimes you get a group together and you get a good synergy going, and you can have some good creative, productive results come out of that. I feel it's important. I met with Jack Cohen down at the tourism and convention bureau, and just his passion and energy, it would just be exciting to work with an individual like that, just to be involved in that. Definitely, I think they need to be a part of it.
What role do you think the county commissioners should have in economic development in the county?
BUTLER: Again, I think it goes back to leadership. The county commissioner is sort of the figurehead.
The same thing in the borough, the mayor is the figurehead. The mayor doesn't necessarily have a lot of powers like a city mayor would have. There is a certain level of respect that people hold toward that office, just like a commissioner. I believe it is important to lead and to project that image and to be a visionary.
Like I said, the reason why I got into this race was because I felt there were maybe missed opportunities out there. I think as a commissioner, you're out there, you're public, you're talking to different people. You might come across something and say that's interesting and say “Let's get together, talk about this. I'm going to hook you up with this different person here and we'll get this thing done.”
To bring development in to our county, we invite these folks in. That's why tourism is very important. They come here as guests first. They come here for the Big Butler Fair or Moraine State Park or the carnival down in Saxonburg or the rodeo up in North Washington.
They come here, they see how nice our county is and they say, “Maybe I'll move there,” or “Maybe I'll move my business there.” I just feel it's important for a commissioner to be out there leading.
What role do you think the county commissioners should have in helping to coordinate with community services such as water and sewer authorities, emergency medical services, bus transportation?
BUTLER: It really comes down to a leadership role. I know I keep going back to that. The commissioner is the face of the county. I think its important that, if there is an opportunity, to help coordinate things.
We bring up public transportation and there talk that we need additional bus lines or more buses. We already have a bus that comes out of New Castle, New Castle Area Transit, that goes down I-79 and into Pittsburgh. In fact, my wife takes it from the Portersville park and ride. They also stop on 528 around Zelienople.
Instead of us creating another bus line to go into Pittsburgh, maybe what we do is see if our buses in Butler go to the park and ride. The passengers then can get off there and get on the bus that goes to Pittsburgh. Myers runs a bus on Route 8.
We can do the same thing there. I think it's the commissioner sort of thinking outside the box and just putting the right players together to see that happens.
Water and sewer? Definitely. We have so much growth happening in the southern part of the county and a lot of that has to do with the infrastructure that's there. The water is there, the sewer is there. Developers come in and they can hook right up and build.
Right now, you look at the Portersville exit on 79. There's a great opportunity there for development. What's lacking? Sewer and water. The roads are there, but the sewer and water isn't there.
A business comes in, they have to build that infrastructure themselves, which is very costly, and then they have to maintain it, and just going through the permitting process with DEP. That's sort of what I see in how we can move the growth out of the concentrated areas in the southern part of the county and allow it to happen in other parts of the county, if we can bring that infrastructure to those areas.
