ELYSBURG - "Either I was going to give up voting, or jump in with both feet," independent candidate Stephen Bridy said Tuesday, explaining his decision to enter the race for Northumberland County commissioner.
Bridy, a resident of Elysburg and native of Kulpmont, filed nomination papers Monday with the county board of elections qualifying him for the November ballot. He has been a registered independent since early spring, but before that, was registered as a Republican. In fact, he was one of the 25 Republicans who expressed interest last year in succeeding Kurt Masser as commissioner when Masser resigned to become the state representative for the 107th District.
Bridy stressed, however, that he is "definitely not an ideologue." When he first registered to vote, he was a Democrat, but switched party affiliation while in college.
"I saw a need," was Bridy's immediate comment when asked why he decided to run for commissioner. He believes county government suffers from a lack of both professionalism and transparency. He said both the Republicans and Democrats have given the public "dysfunctional" government.
Industry important
Bridy said county commissioners have been lax in promoting economic development. Although commissioners were critical of Jim King, executive director of the Northumberland County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), and replaced him in June, Bridy believes the commissioners are primarily to blame for the IDA's inadequacies.
"As commissioners, they should have been on the phone with the head of the IDA two or three times a week asking how they could get involved and how they could facilitate the efforts to attract new industries," Bridy remarked. He said he is bothered by the fact that a lack of economic opportunity forces so many talented and well-educated young people to relocate to other areas.
Bridy also criticized the commissioners for how they fill county jobs. "Every other week, we read about someone being appointed to a political job, yet these jobs are never posted. I strongly believe that each and every job should be posted," he said. "It shouldn't be about hiring someone that the commissioners already know and like."
Bridy said he is concerned about how the county system of government has been functioning. "The two Democrats (Frank Sawicki and Vinny Clausi) have had their issues, and so has Merle (Phillips). Merle said he would finish the one year remaining (on Masser's term), but he went back on his word," he remarked.
During the primary election campaign, Phillips said that although it wasn't his original intention to seek election to a full term, he believes he is making an important contribution to county government and the more involved he got, the more he wanted to continue making a difference. He also said he came to the conclusion that he wasn't ready for retirement.
Run like a business
Bridy, who will turn 40 in early September, graduated from Susquehanna University with a major in economics and dual minors in accounting and business. He is a 1989 graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School, where he played football and wrestled, and he now lives in Ralpho Township with his wife and their four children, who range in age from 3 to 12.
Bridy, a licensed financial adviser, is in the midst of a six-month sabbatical. He is using the time to work on some projects, including an effort to help physicians self-fund malpractice insurance, as well as spending time with his children.
Bridy said he is a fiscal conservative who respects the work people do and the unique skills they bring to their jobs. "I have never belonged to a union," he said, "but my father was a union man, and so was my grandfather. I believe in paying people the wage they deserve."
He said it's important that the county be run like a business and that the budget be balanced.
"If I am elected," Bridy said, "I will only be beholden to the people, not politicians. I do not believe ideology can be used to solve problems. God gave each of us a brain to think for ourselves."
Five options
Bridy's candidacy means that voters will have five candidates to pick from in November. Two candidates were nominated for commissioner in May by Democratic and Republican voters. The party nominees are Clausi and Sawicki, Democrats, and Phillips and Sunbury attorney Rick Shoch, Republicans. In the general election, each voter can select two candidates, with the top three earning election.