Carbon County Commissioner William J. O'Gurek is seeking a Democratic nomination for the office of county commissioner in the May 19 primary election.

O'Gurek is serving his 12th year in office, having been appointed to his current term in 2012 by President Judge Roger E. Nanovic of the Court of Common Pleas. Previously, O'Gurek was elected to four-year terms in the elections of 2003 and 2007.Before serving as commissioner, he was served as the county prothonotary and mayor of Summit Hill Borough, both for 10 years."Challenging times exist for county governments," O'Gurek said. "Faced with a lagging economy and cutbacks in state and federal funds, meeting the responsibilities county officials are faced with today to effectively and efficiently administer a $45.8 million budget like ours, requires every day attention. Besides the day-to-day obligations, the public's expectations and emerging issues call for daily attention to county operations, and I am happy to work alongside the majority commissioners as we strive to address issues as they arise. During times of instability, leadership and experience matter the most."O'Gurek said the board is working on several areas of concern for the future of Carbon, including exploring ideas relating to the availability of space for overcrowded county offices; development of a fire training facility and multipurpose building as a commitment to the police, fire and EMS services in all 23 county municipalities; and addressing prison overcrowding, caused, in part, by the soaring drug epidemic.O'Gurek said his goal for the future is to continue to play a significant role in nurturing a good working relationship with officials, saying, "We already have enough gridlock in Harrisburg and Washington; we don't need it in Jim Thorpe. I recognize the public's expectations of officials. Successful boards are those which are measured by the public perception of the ability commissioners to relate to each other."O'Gurek resides in Summit Hill with his wife, Siobhan, and are the parents of Billy of Summit Hill and Erin, wife of Steve Bariexca of Philadelphia, and have a grandson Jack.For a full account of O'Gurek's candidacy, go to

www.ogureksoutreach.com.