Two Carbon County officials aired their frustrations over a recent ruling for the upcoming election, as well as concerns on the runaway truck ramp and proposed additional signs along Route 93 heading into Nesquehoning.

On Thursday, Commissioner William O'Gurek spoke about the commonwealth court's ruling this week that upholds a state resolution delaying a referendum question regarding the state's judicial retirement age.The question that was supposed to be on the ballot on Tuesday asks voters if they feel judges should be allowed to remain on the bench until age 75 instead of the current age 70 requirement.But because of the court's decision on Wednesday, voters will see the referendum question on Tuesday's ballot but any vote on the matter will not count.The question will be delayed and put on the November general election ballot because the Legislature believed more people will have a chance to respond.The problem at hand though is money."I think it is just another case of wasted money," O'Gurek said.The Department of State instructed counties to put the question on the upcoming ballots because deadlines to get absentee ballots printed and delivered to the people who requested them."It will be on our ballot because we needed to make preparations," he said. "But it just befuddles me that the state spent $1.5 million advertising the referendum with full-page ads in newspapers across the state and then adopted a resolution calling for the question to not be put on the ballot this time around and held until November."The issue O'Gurek said he had wasn't so much with the delay, but rather the money Harrisburg wasted by deciding this last year and now pulling it right before the election.He also reminded residents that the deadline for voter registration and absentee ballot applications have passed.In other matters, Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard voiced his concerns over the truck runoff ramp on the Broad Mountain, as well as the additional proposed signs along Route 93 that were announced last week by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.He said that he doesn't think the signs will be enough of a deterrent to have truck drivers stop at the top of the Broad Mountain."If you can't speak English or can't read signs, it doesn't matter how many signs you put up," he said. "The problem is the drivers are not stopping."Gerhard said that he plans to take a closer look at the truck ramp, specifically the material used on the ramp that is supposed to allow a truck to sink and stop safely.Since the ramp was redesigned, a number of people, including Gerhard's father, former Carbon County Commissioner Tom Gerhard, have been outspoken about the type of material used not being the correct material.