BUTLER TWP — There are three reasons Jerry Johnston is running for Butler County Commissioner — his three grandchildren

“I’d like to see them stay here and have a career and give back to their community,” said Johnston, 66, of Butler Township. “It’s important that we do those things.”

He said the commissioners need to find a way to keep younger people in the county so its success can continue.

Johnston, a Democrat, is one of five candidates running for three commissioner seats. The other candidates are Republicans Leslie Osche and Kim Geyer, Democrat Kevin Boozel, and Michael Bagdes-Canning of the Green Party. The election is Nov. 3.

The current commissioners — Bill McCarrier, Dale Pinkerton and Jim Eckstein — are not on the ballot.

Economic development

Johnston said his top priority is economic development.

“Let’s face it, money makes the world go around,” he said.

The county also should look at development in underdeveloped areas. He said he would like a new economic development program to cover the north, east and west of the county.

“We should partner with the municipalities and the school boards, and find out the properties that are there ... find out what things they may be able to do and things they may not be able to do,” Johnston said.

He said 75 percent of all business expansion comes from businesses that already exist.

“We need to pay attention to those that are there,” Johnston said, adding that commissioners need to keep up with them regularly.

To promote economic development, he said he is anxiously waiting for the countywide unified economic plan that is being developed under the sponsorship of BC3.

“I think that’s a start. I think we need to pay attention to it, digest it,” Johnston said.

Experience and desire

Johnston said he spent 25 years in the telecommunications business, has managed a $1.2 million budget and managed employees.

He said he has 40 years of community service, including as past president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and 16 years on the Butler City Parking Authority.

He also adds teacher and broadcaster to his list of experiences.

“I have experience, knowledge, education, and I have a desire to give something back to my community. I want to see this place be as good as it can possible be,” Johnston said.

Staying in touch

He said the county needs to be in touch with businesses, CEOs and entrepreneurs. The commissioners also should be in touch with businesses in downtown Butler, which would help bring in more businesses to that area.

The commissioners should work with groups such as the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission and the Community Development Corporation.

“We’ve got to be actively working with all of these groups,” Johnston said. “We have to explore every tool in the tool belt.”

He said infrastructure is key, noting that the proximity to good roads and transportation has helped the southwestern part of the county.

Johnston said the county could be working with agencies like the Butler Transit Authority to help improve transportation, which could help bring people from parts of the county with few jobs to areas with more jobs.

“We can work something out,” Johnston said.

Additionally, he said the commissioners should be lobbying state officials in Harrisburg to make roads better.

Focus on budget

The commissioners ask the county departments to limit their budget increases to 5 percent or less, but the commissioners can be too quick a sign off on larger increases, he said.

“Having sat through some of these budget meetings ... I think you can see where you can start to save a little portion here and a little portion there. Once you’ve saved that six, eight, 10 times, it starts to add up to dollars that could be used elsewhere for something that needs it,” Johnston said.

As far as increasing taxes, Johnston said he hopes there would be no circumstance that would require that.

However, he noted the county is facing possibly buying a $13 million, government-mandated 911 radio upgrade.

“Personally, this is an issue that I think is critical because this affects every single person in this county,” Johnston said. “This is a safety issue and a health issue. We’ve got to be very careful.”

He thinks working on a new system can be done without a tax increase.

“We don’t know that there’s not going to be some federal funding for this. We don’t know that there’s not going to be grant money available for this,” Johnston said.

He said the system needs replaced with the system projected to be outdated by 2018. He said there is some money available from state Act 13 impact fees on gas wells, and he would like to see more of that money go to the project.

He said that Mission Critical Partners, the company the county hired to help with the radio issue, said the cost could be negotiated lower. He also said the county should consider building in some financial help for fire departments.

Need to help seniors

Earlier this year, the county cut back hours at its senior centers. Johnston said he is not sure if the county still is serving seniors well, but he said seniors are not happy with what happened.

“I think it could have been handled better,” Johnston said.

He said the county’s motivation for cutting hours is not clear, saying a cost savings was projected, but almost all of the money for the Area Agency on Aging comes from the state. He said he would not have changed anything until he had the data supporting cutting hours.

“I think the answer to the question is perhaps, no, we don’t adequately serve seniors right now,” Johnston said.

See how county works

If elected, Johnston said he wants to work in every department and row office for a little bit to see how they operate.

“I want to see how the office functions,” Johnston said, but adding that he does not want to micromanage.

With most of the commissioner candidates not having county government experience, Johnston said those elected as commissioner should be involved with the departments.

Johnston said he cannot say if there is anything about county operations he wants to change yet.

“You can sit here and say I want to change this, or I want to slash the budget ... but you really can’t do that until you get in there and know and learn,” Johnston said.

He said another change he wants is better cooperation and relationships among the commissioners.

“We have to create a new spirit of cooperation,” Johnston said.

He said he views the county as a corporation, with a budget and employees, and the commissioners as CEOs.

“It’s your job to get along with them. It’s your job to engender a spirit of cooperation,” Johnston said. “You have to create an atmosphere that ... makes everyone want to be a part of going to work every day.”

With all the commissioners being new, there will be a learning curve, he said, but there will be fresh faces and new ideas.

“I think it’s a great thing,” Johnston said. “You’ve got to have new outlook on things.”