Jobs, infrastructure keys in race
WAYNESBURG – The need to develop water and sewer infrastructure, attract new industries to the county and address the problems of drug addiction were among the issues raised by the candidates for Greene County commissioner.
Vying for the three seats are incumbent Blair Zimmerman and former commissioner Dave Coder, Democrats; and incumbent Archie Trader and newcomer Keith McClure, Republicans.
Commissioner Charles Morris, defeated in the primary, announced last week he has mounted a write-in campaign for re-election.
Zimmerman was appointed commissioner in December 2012 to complete the term of Pam Snyder. “I have always been a person who likes to be a part of the community and who will reach out to help others,” he said.
One of the main issues for the county is the need to expand sewer and water infrastructure, Zimmerman said. “It’s 2015. We should have sewage and water everywhere in the county,” he said.
The commissioners have used the county’s resources to assist municipalities with infrastructure projects by helping them apply for grants and by providing supplemental funding, he said.
“We’ve been willing to help the communities willing to help themselves. When they have a project, they throw in some money and we throw in a match,” he said.
The need for housing also is important, Zimmerman said. The county has supported efforts to address housing needs, providing $200,000 to the Gateway Senior Housing project in Waynesburg and funding the redevelopment authority and its program to eliminate blight.
Zimmerman said he also would like to see efforts made to address the problem of drugs, though he knows there is “no easy fix.”
“We support anything state, federal or local law enforcement wants to do, and if there is any way we can support them financially, we’ll do it,” he said.
Before becoming a commissioner, Zimmerman was a coal miner for 40 years, and he supports the industry. However, he said, he understands the county must diversify its economic base.
To accomplish that, he said, the county Department of Economic Development has been working with a regional coalition on grant initiatives to provide training for displaced miners and to attract new industries to the area.
He also spoke about the benefits of the Act 13 impact fee money. “While we’ve been able to help some groups, we’ve also put money away for a rainy day. We’re trying to be good stewards of that money,” he said.
Coder touts the experience and knowledge he gained at the local, state and federal levels during his career in government.
“The contacts I have made with various government officials and business leaders across the state I believe is a plus,” he said.
Coder was county commissioner from 1996 to 2010. He also has served as field representative for former U.S. Rep. Austin Murphy, district director for former U.S. Rep. Mark Critz and most recently chief of staff for state Rep. Pam Snyder.
The main issues for the county, Coder said, are jobs and infrastructure.
His previous work with various state and federal agencies will be especially helpful in relation to employment opportunities and issues regarding the energy industry, he said. While with Critz, he said, he worked on issues regarding mine permitting.
“I have a good working knowledge about county government and how it interconnects with the state and federal government,” he said. “I know who to call and what to say to be helpful.”
Coder said he has been involved in a number of projects dealing with water and sewer infrastructure.
When he was commissioner in 2006, the county issued $5.29 million in bonds, part of which was used as “seed” money for local water and sewer projects.
Coder said he would use the Act 13 money in a similar fashion. “Many times these projects need just a little kick start to get them going,” he said. “If you bring everybody together and everybody invests a little bit, you can get a project to move forward.”
Coder said he also has a good knowledge of state and federal grant programs. “That’s where my experience helps,” he said.
Coder speaks of his experience working on transportation issues, having served as chairman of Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.
He said he also is interested in expanding recreational opportunities and was involved in the development of the Greene River Trail and the Waynesburg water park. “I want Greene County to be the best place to live, work and play,” he said.
Trader, who is seeking his third term as commissioner, said management of the county budget is one of his areas of expertise. He cites his more than 40 years of business experience as a former business owner and manager for the Weyerhaeuser Co.
“We’ve been under budget now for the past seven years and have been able to put some money aside to use for a rainy day,” he said. In 2010, he said, the commissioners reduced property taxes by a slight amount, 0.105 of a mill, after using savings to pay off a county bond.
Trader said he is seeking another term to see the completion of several projects. One is the development of retail property at the county airport to provide space, he hopes, “for a couple of sit-down restaurants.”
Once the property is leased to retailers, the county will begin seeing revenue from the development, he said.
During his tenure, Trader said, the commissioners also made changes at the airport to make it “a profit center rather than a drag on the budget.” This was done in part by increasing rent on new hangars and implementing a system for credit card use at airport fuel pumps.
When asked about issues the county faces, Trader first spoke of the drug problem. The commissioners can address the issue, he said, by supporting programs that assist those with addiction problems and lobbying for additional rehabilitation services, he said.
Trader said he would like to see the county continue to develop water and sewer infrastructure to promote residential and commercial growth.
The county has provided grants to help municipalities with infrastructure projects. “We don’t do the water and sewer lines ourselves, it’s the municipalities’ decision, but we partner with them,” Trader said.
Diversifying the county’s economy also is an issue for the county, Trader said. Toward that end, the county’s Department of Economic Development is involved in a regional coalition to take advantage of grants becoming available for retraining displaced workers and attracting new industries, he said.
The commissioners also have attempted to address the need for housing, recently commissioning a study of the Ruff Creek area to determine how to spur housing development there, Trader said.
They also provided funding to revive the county redevelopment authority, which started a program to eliminate blight, and to assist the Gateway Senior Housing project, a 52-unit apartment complex for seniors in Waynesburg, he said.
McClure is making his first run for an elected office. “I’m definitely not a career politician,” he said.
“I’ve lived here all my life. I’m tired of career politicians and sleepy leadership and I want to make Greene County a better place to live and to raise a family,” he said.
The most important issue, McClure said, is drugs.
McClure has proposed establishment of a drug court, which normally provides an alternative to jail for nonviolent offenders and requires close supervision and treatment.
“The best way to fight this epidemic is to rehabilitate these individuals,” he said. “By working towards the goal of changing their behavior through treatment we will ultimately be saving people and saving tax dollars.”
McClure said he has been involved in the coal and oil and gas industries all his life and believes that has given him the knowledge to address issues regarding those industries.
Problems in the coal industry will affect many residents, he said. McClure favors developing programs to retrain miners, but also believes it’s important to speak out for the development of clean coal technologies.
McClure said Act 13 impact fee must be continued by the state. He opposes Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan for a statewide natural gas severance tax.
“The money (from Act 13 funding) needs to stay here where the activity is, where it directly affects people who live in these communities,” he said.
Though the natural gas industry is now in a downturn because of low prices, McClure said, he believes it will eventually come back. McClure said he could see the gas industry spurring related industries such as electric generation plants and manufacturers that require a lot of gas in their processes.
He also believes the county should try to diversify its industrial base. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket,” he said.