Editor's note: Last in a series of articles detailing the race for Northumberland County commissioner.
When he ran for Northumberland County commissioner in 2003, Frank Sawicki vowed to restore financial stability, provide essential services to the public despite major fiscal challenges and treat colleagues and employees fairly and with professionalism. Sawicki said his adherence to these goals and his record of accomplishment makes him deserving of voters' consideration for a third term.
Keeping Northumberland County in sound fiscal order continues to be a priority over the next four years, Sawicki vows.
Equally as important, he believes, is an expanded effort to market Northumberland County nationwide to businesses looking to relocate in Pennsylvania.
"Northumberland County is well positioned between Interstates 80 and 81, and we are practically in the center of the state," Sawicki remarked. "But we need to change the way we market ourselves." Sawicki said the county has been getting suggestions on just how to do just that from a former local resident who specializes in finding locations for business clients.
Proximity and professionalism
Sawicki disagreed with independent candidate Steve Bridy, who has charged that infighting between and a lack of professionalism by commissioners have made the county unmarketable. "That's not true," said Sawicki.
He noted that, despite the close proximity of interstates, there is still the issue of getting to them, particularly in the eastern end of the county.
"Our terrain and the fact that tractor-trailers have to go up and down mountains on Route 901 to get to the interstate has put us at a disadvantage," he said.
Sawicki said controversies are nothing new in Northumberland County government. "We tend to be a little more adamant here because the county is essentially split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. There is always the potential for controversy.
"Do (Commissioner) Vinny (Clausi) and I have arguments?" Sawicki asked. "You'd better believe we do. But when it is all said and done, we walk out of the office, and that's it. It stays in the office."
Money saved, but ...
Sawicki said the county would be in dire straits right now if the commissioners hadn't taken drastic, but necessary steps over the past four years to cut costs.
"We have cut a substantial amount of money from the county budget," Sawicki said. "A lot of it was money that was spent without much thought about how we could do things better.
"We've changed things. We changed the way we use our gas cards, how we insure our vehicles, how we bid health insurance and how we generate our mailings," Sawicki said. "If we didn't do these things, along with the one-time savings we generated through refinancing bonds, our situation right now would be drastic." Upset and judicial sales generated $400,000 in revenue for the county that would not have been there otherwise, and in addition, these sales also brought significant revenue for school districts and municipalities.
By divesting Mountain View Manor, Sawicki noted, the county avoided the need to spend an additional $4 million, the projected cost for making upgrades mandated by codes. Because the manor was divested, the county was also able to eliminate the central purchasing department, which was located in the "old nursing home" adjacent to the manor.
Despite all the austerity measures that have been taken, challenges remain, Sawicki said. The county must contribute almost $1 million to the retirement fund, come up with several hundred thousand dollars to fund increases in court salaries approved by arbitrators and pay increases of $1.5 million in health care costs mandated by federal regulations.
Sawicki said the sale of Mountain View Manor, central purchasing and the transportation department, though fiscally necessary, created cash flow problems, especially when state allocations for programs are not made when expected.
Responding to Republican candidate Rick Shoch's assertion that workers in the transportation department did not receive advance notice of the county's decision to eliminate the department, Sawicki, during an interview at The News-Item, contacted Joe Picarella, county human services director, who confirmed union members in the department received a 30-day notice in writing.
"We're evaluating where we are, where we have to be and what we can do," Sawicki said. "We three commissioners sit down and discuss options."
Regional prison discussed
Asked about Bridy's assertion that a lack of professionalism in Northumberland County discourages regional cooperation among counties, Sawicki said commissioners have held thoughtful discussions with commissioners from other counties. In fact, commissioners from five counties have met, he said, to discuss whether a regional prison should be explored. That idea has not gotten past the initial conversation, he noted, and no additional meetings were held.
In fact, Sawicki noted, the prison issue is not an urgent one or even one that is on the front burner since Northumberland County attained 100 percent compliance on its last prison inspection.
Sawicki is optimistic that the proposed off-highway vehicle park will be developed on county lands in 2012 through private investment. Sawicki believes the park would be beneficial to the county because it would bring in an influx of people from outside the area who avail themselves of the facility and purchase goods and services locally.
"The park would bring in thousands and thousands of dollars of new money," he said. The site proposed for the park is not suited for economic development, he notes, but is ideal for off-road vehicle recreation, which has become an extremely popular activity.
Proud of efforts
Sawicki said he is proud of his efforts to conduct a transparent government. "In addition to public meetings, we have open work sessions, held a week prior to the meetings, in which agendas are prepared. At these sessions, we discuss issues that may be controversial, not just routine business," he said.
Sawicki said he is grateful for the opportunity to serve as commissioner for the past eight years. "We have made some major strides," he said, adding that he worked hard in furtherance of the ambitious goals he established for himself eight years ago.