Oct 14, 2023 By Gary Stout 5 min read

The election coming up Tuesday, Nov. 7 is considered to be an “off-year” contest. Turnout is expected to be light. This is unfortunate, given that in Washington County the winning candidates will be responsible for governing for the next four years. The contest to elect three county commissioners is, in my view, the most important of these elections.

The Pennsylvania County Code stipulates that each voter may cast a ballot for two commissioner candidates and that the three having the highest number of votes will be elected. This ensures that the board of commissioners consists of two members from the majority party and one from the minority party to maintain a political balance.

Decisions by commissioners are made at monthly public meetings. Other important functions fulfilled by commissioners include the boards that handle salaries, elections, pensions, and prisons.

The commissioners are responsible for monitoring and guiding the fiscal management of county government. The three commissioners work with other county and state officials to ensure that citizens receive needed services.

Whatever the outcome of the election, the composition of the new board will be noticeably different from prior decades. For the first time since 1996, Republican Diana Irey Vaughan will not be on the ballot. The other two incumbent commissioners, Democrat Larry Maggi and Republican Nick Sherman, are considered favorites to remain on the board. The political party that controls the board will most likely come down to whether Democrat Cindy Fisher captures the most votes, or Republican rival Electra Janis.

What follows is a brief analysis of each of the candidates:

Larry Maggi is currently serving his fifth term as commissioner. Maggi is committed to keeping Washington County on the forefront of economic growth, low taxes, and having a good quality of life.

Maggi has a long history of public service. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1971. He then served 24 years as a trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police and was elected Washington County sheriff in 1997. He became a commissioner in 2003, and continues to serve on a long list of veterans, community and governmental organizations.

Maggi brings a wealth of experience and few surprises. He has always been a watchdog of the public purse. Maggi recently joined with Irey Vaughn in supporting a cost-effective contract with the county’s chamber of commerce to promote long-term economic growth. This contract will ensure that the 25-year partnership between the county and chamber will continue to build and diversify our highly successful local economy.

Nick Sherman is completing his first term as commissioner. When the local Republican Party attacked his fellow Republican commissioner, Irey Vaughn, who worked tirelessly to get him elected, Sherman abandoned her. Sherman has shown himself to be an opportunist who places political calculations before good governance. He has supported election deniers rather than his responsible fellow commissioner.

Sherman calls himself a “fiscal conservative.” However, he was the driving force behind the county purchase of the Crossroads Building at millions over market value. Sherman has finally exposed his hand on his post-election plans for the economy and county government. On Sept. 21, he voted against the contract to continue the partnership with the chamber of commerce. Sherman did not offer an alternative to the arrangement that has worked well for many years. One can only guess what other changes Sherman has in mind if Republicans capture the majority on the board.

Cindy Fisher is currently serving her second term as a Cecil Township supervisor. She has chaired the Cecil board for the past three years and previously served three years as vice chairperson. Prior to this, she was an executive member of her local school’s parent council. Fisher is fiscally conservative and a moderate Democrat who has not raised taxes during her time as a Cecil supervisor. She helped secure more than $1 million in grants for improvements to Cecil’s five parks, bridges, the Montour Trail, and improvements to its public works facilities.

Like Maggi, her running mate, Fisher’s top priority is maintaining and growing a strong local economy. Fisher recently outlined her economic vision in the Observer-Reporter. It encouraged disgruntled residents in Allegheny County to move to Washington County. She stated, “With our growing economy, we can welcome Allegheny County families to our county by showing our area is a great place to work and live. We must promote that Washington County is not Allegheny County… we must not repeat Pittsburgh’s mistakes.”

Electra Janis is a young woman in her 20s who has not run for office prior to this campaign. She has no decision-making experience in either county or municipal government. Janis has worked in her family’s restaurant business and been employed for the past three years as district manager for her local state representative, answering questions for constituents.

There is an important distinction between Fisher and Janis. Fisher has the government experience and self-assurance to bring independent thinking to the board of commissioners. Janis will follow the lead of her Republican handlers.

Gary Stout is a Washington attorney.