4 Dems square off on issues
BUTLER TWP — The four Democratic candidates for Butler County commissioner squared off Wednesday night in a debate.
They are Kevin Boozel, incumbent Commissioner Jim Eckstein, Dave Johnston and Jerry Johnston.
The debate at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College was sponsored by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, the Butler Eagle and Armstrong.
Ron Vodenichar, Butler Eagle general manager and co-publisher, served as moderator.
Boozel of Mercer Township is the project manager for the PA 211 Southwest hot line.
“I'm known as a servant leader amongst Butler County residents,” Boozel said.
He said he has experience, training, knowledge in government, nonprofits, for-profits and emergency services.
Eckstein of Butler Township, the only incumbent commissioner running, said his mission is “open, honest government conducted in public.”
He said he has three years of experience as a commissioner, seven and a half years of speaking at commissioners meetings and several commissioner certifications.
Eckstein also said he is known for being fiscally conservative, and he is not taking a county pension.
Dave Johnston of Saxonburg, the county planning director, touted his more than three decades of experience in several counties.
“I have the most experience in government of any of the candidates here,” Johnston said.
He said his big priority is to control spending to keep taxes low.
Jerry Johnston of Butler Township, a marketing coordinator at BC3, said he wants to restore integrity and professionalism to county government.
He also said he wants to reduce the county's debt, and to make sure that seniors, people with disabilities and veterans are taken care of.
Each of the candidates selected one question out of a container to answer. After all the questions were answered, the other candidates had a chance to respond.
Boozel said that the agriculture industry is vitally important to the county.“We need to support them. We need to provide tax breaks for (farmers),” Boozel said.He said that the Clean and Green Act, which is a preferential tax assessment program, could help farmers keep their property taxes low if a property reassessment was done.Dave Johnston said that Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling has helped farmers generate income since many have leased well sites on their properties.
When asked what roads in the county he would want to see improved, Eckstein said when he was elected, he was blocked by commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton from representing the county with them on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which prioritizes road projects in the region.If he was on the SPC, he said he would push for improvements to Route 228, Freedom Road, Route 356 in Buffalo Township and Route 68 near Evans City.Dave Johnston said that the SPC is looking into improvements for the Route 68 and 228 corridors.Jerry Johnston said that Route 228 is a growing problem. He also would like to see an Evans City bypass for Route 68, but he said that is unlikely to happen soon.
Dave Johnston said he is not sure if the county is legally allowed to contribute financially to Butler services, such as fire or police protection. He noted that the county provides services to the city at no charge, such as the prison, veterans affairs and tax appeals.He said the city has some issues that the county can help with, such as blight removal and putting vacant lots back into use.Boozel said looking at mutual aid agreements to see if they need to be modified is important, and he said the county should assist the city with issues such as blight removal. He also said he is concerned about a federal mandate to update the county 911 emergency radio system, which he said could cost $14 million.
Jerry Johnston said with a new governor and no state or federal budget yet set, it is difficult to gauge what policies he might want to promote to the state.“We really can't know what's coming down the pike,” he said.He did say if Gov. Tom Wolf has his way, Act 13 natural gas impact fees that go to counties and municipalities will disappear, which will greatly affect the county.After the four main questions and rebuttals, the candidates were given two questions, written by BC3 students, to answer. One asked about each candidate's ability to work with others and the other was about the skills the candidates have.Working with othersBoozel said he will work to have a positive relationship with others. He said that people in the county government need to have open, honest communication to do their jobs.Eckstein, who has had public disagreements and arguments with commissioners McCarrier and Pinkerton during the past three years, said his confrontational reputation is “overblown.”He said the three county commissioners are not allowed to have discussions behind closed doors, and he strictly follows those rules. He said democracy is not sanitized.“(Russian leader) Vladimir Putin doesn't have as many problems as we do,” Eckstein said.Dave Johnston said that he has worked with nine boards of commissioners in three counties since 1978. During the past three years, he said, the reputation of Butler County government has been hurt.He said he wants to restore respect to the county, saying that commissioners can have their own convictions, but still meet and discuss. He pointed out that past commissioners had disagreements and arguments, but still had civil discussions.Jerry Johnston said his community service has stretched 40 years.He said “with freedom comes responsibility.” He said commissioners are free to say what they want, but they also have to listen to what people say in response.He said that commissioners should offer help rather than just yell.
Jerry Johnston said he is a good communicator, having spent time working in marketing and public relations. As a leader, he said he would look to the future.Dave Johnston played up his experience as a major factor in why he should be elected. He said he has worked on transportation and development in the county.“I know county government,” he said.Eckstein said for some reason, it is seen as a bad by some people to go to meetings and speak out. He said he can talk to people, and he noted that his obligation is to the taxpayers.Boozel said he is able to look at issues from multiple perspectives.The candidates are seeking one of two nominations for the party in the May 19 primary.
