SMETHPORT – Even with the time for circulating nominating
petitions two months away, prospective candidates for McKean County
Commissioner are surfacing all around.

Among them are at least two former commissioners.

Both Larry Stratton and Al Pingie, members of the last board
defeated three years ago, say they are in the race.

And both say the main reason is concern over the money the
present commissioners have spent in creating new management
positions and hiring people to fill them.

It is a concern voiced by a number of other hopefuls.

Pingie noted Tuesday that, with the hiring of a county
administrator, a chief financial officer and others, the
commissioners are having other people “do the job we (previous
commissioners) used to do.”

He also noted that Commissioner Cliff Lane has kept his previous
full-time job, and spends little time at the courthouse.

While Pingie said he was criticized during his term for holding
on to his position with the Bradford Fire Department, the three
commissioners elected three years ago as “The New Directions Team”
publicly stated that they would be part-time commissioners and
would accept only $12,000 of the approximately $45,000 annual
salary.

Burdick, however, draws the full salary of $47,970, a move
defended by the other sitting commissioners because Burdick did not
run with them and make the same pledge.

Lane and Egbert have both said they will run again, along with
former University of Pittsburgh at Bradford basketball coach Dick
Danielson. All three said they will take the full salary if
elected.

Commissioner Bruce Burdick announced Wednesday that he would not
run.

Pingie declared that if he is elected in 2007, he will retire
from the fire department.

Stratton said, “What’s bothering me is the terrific amount of
money they’re spending.” Something echoed by several others.

County Democratic Committee Chair Judy Church said she is
“giving (being a candidate) some thought.”

“Somebody has to run against them,” she declared.

Church is another who objects to the hiring of people to do jobs
once done by the realm of elected officials; she particularly
mentioned that she objected to “moving the sheriff to the
courthouse,” and appointing a warden and assistant warden at what
is now the county prison.

While she agreed that the facility and its programs needed
improvement, she thinks that the elected sheriff could have made
them.

Church also noted that no Democrats have yet approached the
party about running. Bradford City Councilman Bob Onuffer, a
Democrat who has run before, said he is giving it some thought, but
that he also has things he wants to do in the city.

On the Republican side, Corydon Township Supervisor Tim Yohe
said Wednesday, without elaboration, that he had talked to some
people and decided that he would run.

Among those whose names have also been thrown around, Lee
Doynow, who retired this year as human resources director of
Bradford schools, said that the possibility had been mentioned to
her, but that she is not interested.

“Those guys are doing a good job,” she declared of the present
board.

Smethport teacher Jack Rosenwie is another who says he was asked
to run, without naming who did the asking, but said that he
declined. He said he has too many other things he wants to do,
among them the development of a forestry school.

Two former commissioners whose names have repeatedly come up
when potential candidates are mentioned laughed out loud when asked
if they were running.

After she composed herself, Register of Wills Harrijane Hannon
said “Do you think I’m crazy?”

She explained that she is running next year, but for re-election
to the position she now holds. “I like what I’m doing and I think
I’m doing a good job – and no one yells at me,” Hannon said with a
laugh.

Port Allegany Borough Manager Dick Kallenborn, who served on the
same board with Hannon, had the same reaction, thinking it was
funny that his name kept coming up and saying that he was quite
happy and comfortable overseeing the operations of the borough.

“I’m staying where I am,” he declared, noting that he did not
need the bother and tension that the county position brings.