Throughout our five-county Times News area, there are five boards of county commissioners, hundreds of municipal bodies and any number of boards of education.

Those who hold these seats perform an invaluable public service to their fellow citizens. Most of these are part-time positions which pay a pittance for the amount of work required, or, in the case of school directors, no compensation at all.The sad reality is that fewer residents are willing to take on the rigors of leadership. In some cases, seats go begging; in others, those elected find the duties to be overwhelming and quit without completing their terms. Finding competent replacements is becoming more difficult.Slatington Borough Council recently replaced its president in the midst of a regularly scheduled meeting. Gwyneth Jones, who was blindsided by the move, quit council in disgust. Early in the year, council sought candidates to fill a vacancy created by the resignation late last year of Bob Steets, but only one person came forward - frequent council critic Mel Gildner.Before the vote, Jones took the extraordinary action to ask audience members whether any of them were interested in filling the vacancy, but her inquiry was met with silence, after which Gildner was approved by a 4-2 vote.The next month, Gildner engineered the overthrow of Jones as council president in favor of David Schnaars by a 4-3 vote. These are the kinds of hardball tactics that scare off some potentially excellent candidates from seeking to enter the realm of public service.Coaldale Borough Council could not gather a quorum (four of the seven elected members) last month and had to cancel a meeting. Council has been plagued by absenteeism for at least the past year, but it had been able to muster enough attendees to conduct business. The issue was brought to a head by the death of Harry Hontz Jr., 58, on March 10, which led to the lack of a quorum. On April 4, council appointed Anne Girard to serve out the remainder of Hontz's term, which ends in December.What motivates people to run for public office? The answers run the gamut from self-interest to a desire to give back to one's community. I will never forget the poignant response to this question given by a Stroudsburg insurance agent who was running to become mayor of that Pocono community."I am in this to pay my community rent," said Joseph H. Small, who went on to victory and re-election four years later (1962-70). "The people of this area allowed me to have a successful business for more than 30 years, and I want to say 'thank you' in a meaningful way by giving of myself for the betterment of my community."Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was similarly motivated."What made you choose your career is what made me go into politics - a chance to serve, to make a difference. It's not just a job," Blair said.This year, Pennsylvania voters from the two major political parties will choose their nominees at the spring primaries on May 16, with the winners squaring off in the November general election on Nov. 7.The problem is that voters in some communities won't have many, if any, choices. In Slatington, Republican Mayor Walter Niedermeyer is the only mayoral candidate on the ballot. There are two two-year council seats available, but just two candidates are on the ballot - Democrats Gildner and Michael Brogan. In Coaldale, there are three candidates seeking three council seats, an equally uncompetitive situation.In Washington Township, Lehigh County, there is just one candidate for one township supervisor seat and only one candidate for tax collector.Not every community faces a dearth of candidates. In Tamaqua, for example, three Republicans are vying for mayor, and a Democrat and four Republicans are seeking three council seats.So why are outstanding and qualified candidates reluctant to enter public service? Some ask why they should subject themselves to abuse from residents and, in some cases, their colleagues, such as was the case in Slatington. Their compensation is minimal.The Slatington mayor and council president earn $2,500 a year, while the other council members make $1,875 annually. Washington Township supervisors get $2,500 annually for serving on the board.Most people are too busy trying to make a living to consider running for office. As for younger voters, they have a lot going on, but, on top of that, they are poorer than their parents were, they aren't buying property so they are not so invested in their communities, and they have been described as apolitical - not interested in politics.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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