Eight candidates are competing Tuesday for two spots on the Republican ticket for Schuylkill County Commissioner. Incumbents Barron L. Hetherington and George F. Halcovage Jr., competing with the Clerk of Courts Maria T. Casey, Minersville; Jeffrey Dunkel, Palo Alto; Larry Padora, New Ringgold; Mary Jo Moss, Orwigsburg; Dan Evans, Tamaqua; and Ray Jones, Ashland.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Gary J. Hess is campaigning for another term in office. Also running is Rita Anczarski Baldino, Kline Township.

We asked questions related to the office. Their replies are listed in alphabetical order:

Maria Casey

Town: Minersville

Background: Presently the Clerk of Courts for eight years. Former First Assistant District Attorney. Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Mount Holyoke College. Juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.

What should the county’s goals be for the next four years: To keep our towns intact by curbing blight through state grants and, increasing our police presence. Protect our seniors with more programs to provide them access to food and medications. Finally, to improve the business infrastructure by bringing high tech jobs and vocational jobs to the area.

How can the county be financially responsible: The county must immediately stop paying millions per year to out-of-county consultants and lawyers. We must operate under budget not over budget.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: A new prison/prerelease center is vital to cutting costs as our deputies and sheriff will not be spending countless hours and money transporting inmates to the other side of this Commonwealth. It will pay for itself in a few years and generate revenue for Schuylkill County.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: There should be no reassessment as decent homes and land will see huge tax increases. John Kasun of Blair County said that his property taxes went up 300% when Vision assessed his property.

Other concerns for the county: The county is not just broken; it is broke. We must revamp our fiscal controls to address the 10 million deficit and the out of control spending.

Jeffrey J. Dunkel

Town: Palo Alto

Background: Owner of Uncle Dunkel Rentals, Skook House of Jerky, vice president of Dustin’s AdVentureland, volunteer firefighter and member/officer of multiple civic groups.

What should the county’s goals be for the next four years: Balancing a budget would be a priority without using over $11 million of Covid relief funds. Building the prerelease center, which was planned since 2008. Restoring integrity and transparency to the courthouse. Allowing more public input and permitting public comment rather than silence the public. Also the reassessment needs to be halted immediately when the change of leadership occurs.

How can the county be financially responsible: Stop the hiring of out of county consultants and lawyers. Also spending 2.5 million more on the reassessment for a company that changed names three times in as many reassessments. Also I would like to cut the salaries in half for commissioners and encourage row officers who do not treat the position as a full-time job to do the same.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: Build, build build!!! This prerelease center has been in the works since 2008. They had land secured in Frackville and decided to not build it for $4 million dollars. Instead it will now be over $12 million dollars and we have already spent well over $10 million in housing, transportation, overtime and wear and tear on vehicles to take to other counties.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: The reassessment should be halted immediately until the details are looked into further. What was the criteria on which company was chosen? I believe a more qualified company submitted a quote at $2.5 million less than the chosen company.

What are your other concerns for the county: Fair wages for county employees. Bring back the morale in the courthouse. Bring back the women who have been wrongfully suspended without pay or let go. Being in touch with the constituents throughout the county and help with issues they may have such as biosolids infiltrating the county.

Dan Evans

Town: Tamaqua

Background: My professional experience includes my current ownership in an auto recycling business, EL & M Auto Recycling, Hammonton, New Jersey; and I previously was employed by Conrail, Philadelphia, as a business development analyst. My municipal government experience includes 12 years of continuous service to Schuylkill County’s second largest municipality first as a councilman and now as chairman of Tamaqua’s community development CRIZ authority.

What should the county’s goals be for the next four years: Fiscal responsibility - generate a balanced budget in 2025 without ARPA revenues; Prison overcrowding - increase capacity, reduce overcrowding at our county prison. Economic development - generate family sustaining jobs in Schuylkill County. Reassessment - support fair and consistent property assessments. Blight - preserve our neighborhoods for future generations and stop erosion of our tax base. Public safety - support for police, fire and EMS, people want to feel safe in their communities. Increased transparency - to our internal workforce and citizens.

How can the county curb spending and be financially responsible: My top priority is a 2025 preliminary budget and the estimated $10 million shortfall. Doing more with less is a way of life in municipal government, and I look forward to working with our experienced finance team and tenured row officers to identify cost savings and potential revenues.

I look forward to working with both groups to increase tax collection rates, offer real estate tax payment options, stop all nonessential spending and sizing staff and services to produce a balanced budget.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: I am committed to the construction of a modern prerelease facility in the next four years to relieve overcrowding at our aging county prison. This is not only a cost issue to the county, but a safety issue and must be done.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: Without meaningful tax reform from Harrisburg, the cost and timing of reassessment will continue to fall to the county level. Currently we are funding the $7.3 million cost through a general obligation note, and I support a dedicated budget item to begin funding the next reassessment in 10 to 15 years moving forward.

Other concerns for the county: Labor participation rate/labor shortages, our participation rate is at an all-time low and shows that approximately 35,000 workers have dropped out of Schuylkill County’s workforce since 2020. My goal is to partner with all internal and external groups to get Schuylkill County working again.

George Halcovage Jr.

Town: Pottsville

Background: Schuylkill County Commissioner since 2012; graduate of Academy of Excellence in County Government - 2014; graduate of CCAP Center for Excellence in County Leadership - 2015; president of Morgan & Halcovage Insurance, Minersville; married to wife Barbara for 42 years and the proud father of five children and grandfather of nine; 1979 B.S. Accounting, Villanova University; former member of the Diocese of Allentown Board of Education; member of St. Patrick’s Church in Pottsville.

What should the county’s goals be for the next four years: My vision for Schuylkill County’s future is to continue to provide the excellent services that have been in place ever since becoming a commissioner in 2012. Public safety, which includes our 911 center, emergency management, volunteer firefighter training, senior services, children and youth programming and the fight on blight. Economic development continues with family-sustaining jobs. Mental health, drug and alcohol programming and services are essential. We are also working on future broadband access for all.

How can the county be financially responsible: We challenge our employees and row officers to do more with less. Zero-based budgeting, where expenses need to be justified every year, is in place, and we’ve attained savings by making sure we don’t spend what we don’t have. Our county holds the third best bond credit rating available. We also found that, during the pandemic, we can do more with less, and I propose we do a wage and time efficiency study.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: At the present time, the outsourcing of inmates is the most cost-effective way to deal with our prison overcrowding. However, we also looked at best practices of other counties where programming is in place as people transition from prison back into society. An intermediate punishment facility is now being evaluated to see how we can keep our costs low for the taxpayers and get the inmates back with their families and in the workforce.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: The county reassessment was mandated by a court case that stated property assessments were not fair and equitable. I hope by 2026 that property tax reform, that some politicians have been promising for years, becomes a reality, especially with the PA Supreme Court case for fair funding of schools. We had American Rescue Plan lost revenue funds I wanted to use to pay for the reassessment, but those were allocated elsewhere. The option selected was to do a 10-year note to spread out the cost.

Other concerns: As stated previously, we at the county are challenged with providing so many services with less money. Unfunded mandates passed down from the higher levels of government have sometimes hampered the way services will be provided in the future. I am proud of the job that all of our employees perform on a daily basis in making sure that our county continues on a positive path in the future. We are here to serve the public.

Barron “Boots” Hetherington

Town: Ringtown

Background: Chairman of the Schuylkill County Commissioners, joined the board in March 2020; board of directors for Briar Creek Mutual Insurance Co; partner and owner of B & R Farms in Ringtown.

What should be the county’s goals for the next four years: Maintain a balanced budget, promote economic development through our business parks, invest in public safety with improvements to our 911 system and construct a fire training center, make the prerelease center a reality and not just a discussion, invest in farmland preservation to provide food security, and continue to support our communities to eliminate blight.

How can the county be financially responsible: Maintain Zero Balanced Budgeting. Continue to scrutinize every expenditure in every department and not just add annual increases. Work closely with our state and federal representatives to provide necessary funds to operate our Human Services departments, which includes mental health/developmental services, Children & Youth, drug and alcohol, adult and juvenile probation and senior services. These programs are a classic example of state and federal unfunded mandates, which pushes the burden onto the county.

Cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: Move forward on defining the needs and constructing a prerelease center to alleviate overcrowding of our prison. The board approved a design study to look at the former STS center. This facility would house nonviolent offenders, inmates eligible for work release and people serving overnight and weekend DUI sentences It would also provide an opportunity for rehabilitation and skill training to reduce repeat offenders.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: Plan for Reassessment project has already been developed and approved with great terms including no prepayment penalty. This decision was the result of a class-action lawsuit that started in 2018. Our tax assessment attorney, Joan Price, advised us to reach a settlement to avoid additional costly ligation.

Other county concerns: Revitalizing our communities and promote mortgage paying jobs. Our economic base has shifted coal to new and exciting opportunities. We need to be ready to embrace and promote our county as a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. We also want to continue our support of farmland preservation to maintain food security. We need to preserve our soil, water, and other natural resources for future generations.

Ray Jones

Town: Ashland

Background: I recently retired after a 33-year career as assistant fire chief for the Army National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap; was borough manager in Ashland for 11 years; board member of the Government Affairs, Infrastructure, Broadband Task Force, the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, Ashland Community Enterprises and Schuylkill County Land Bank. A 35-year member of the Ashland Fire Department, I have been married to Gail for 32 years, and we have a daughter, Megan

County’s goals for the next four years: My priorities are listed as follows: I have a five point plan for Schuylkill County; Restore trust, demonstrate integrity, rebuild public confidence in county government; transparency and open government; getting our fiscal house in order - stop any reckless spending and wasteful programs, including ensuring that the current property tax reassessment is fair and equitable; support first responders and veterans and farming communities, and support economic and workforce development.

How can the county be financially responsible: Budget items must be analyzed line by line to determine the line items effectiveness. If it isn’t working get rid of it. If it isn’t necessary, get rid of it. It seems that the current commissioners throw money at problem and expects it to be fixed.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: I would propose the construction of a prerelease center. This facility would allow low-level offenders to participate in drug and alcohol counseling, peer-to-peer counseling, job training education programs, work release programs, and life skill to facilitate the offender’s successful reintegration into society and prevent recidivism.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: The current commissioners have decided that the Schuylkill County taxpayers will pay the bill to the tune $7 million-plus.

Other concerns for the county: I am concerned with way the property tax reassessment was handled with a lack of transparency. I am deeply concerned with the looming $10 million tax deficit that was covered this year with Covid relief funds.

Larry Padora

Town: New Ringgold

Background: Larry Padora is a lifelong Schuylkill County resident with a Ph.D. from the School of Hard Knocks. He graduated from Tamaqua High before continuing his education at Schuylkill Technology Center and LCCC. He is the owner of Padora’s Italian Bakery and Padora’s Inspection Garage. He is also the director of facilities at STS. Larry is a family man who serves as president of New Ringgold Borough Council and chairman of the County Tax Collection Committee.

County’s goals for the next four years: My top priority is stopping the endless drama in the commissioner’s office and restoring professionalism and an environment of public service. This can be done immediately and, until it does, no worthy goals of tax relief, job creation and ending political favoritism will happen. We must have an experienced, talented, dedicated, and ethical board, administration, and staff that can function well together toward the common purpose of greater public service at the lowest possible cost.

How can the county be financially responsible: The county should stop outsourcing professional services to overpriced, out-of-county consultants. We have all the talent we need here in Schuylkill County, with community-minded and cost-conscious professionals who have a vested interest in our future. We must use performance-based budgeting and do more with less, just like small businesses have to do in order to make ends meet.

What is the most cost effective way to deal with prison overcrowding: It’s time to re-purpose the unused county-owned property on the industrial grounds outside St. Clair into a prerelease center for nonviolent offenders. We already secured a $1.7 million federal grant for this purpose! Also, we must kill two birds with one stone, by storing criminal records at this county-owned property in St. Clair, rather than foolishly continuing to pay $3,500 a month to a storage facility at Bullshead Run.

How should the county pay for the reassessment: The commissioners already indebted us to the tune of $7.5 million to pay for reassessment. To repay this loan and meet other obligations, we need economic growth to expand our tax base rather than relying on the same homeowners over and over again. Schuylkill County wasn’t even close to the maximum threshold of 22 mills for triggering reassessment when our commissioners rolled over for a lawsuit with three questionable plaintiffs.

Other concerns: Census after census, we lose more of our people, as they move to places with lower taxes, better paying jobs, and clean government. We must reinvest cost savings into economic development and infrastructure, as well as resources to reverse blight and end the drug crisis. Together we can deliver government worthy of the people it serves, and help ensure our children will be proud to call Schuylkill County home and remain here to thrive.