Clarion candidates express views at breakfast

Tharan and Brosius are Republicans, and Heasley and White are Democrats.

Ed Heasley

Heasley cited his long history of public service as a township supervisor, volunteer firefighter, Boy Scout leader and with his church.

“The three current commissioners work well together as a team with very little disagreement,” said Heasley.

He said one of the reasons he ran for commissioner was because he had issues with the county planning office.

“Today the planning commission is very workable,” he said. “They want to help things grow. They don’t try to hold things up.”

“To me, being fiscally responsible is at the top of the commissioners’ to do list,” he said. “We have avoided wasteful spending and used the taxpayer’s dollars wisely. We have cut our operating costs rather than raising taxes. That is a challenge I have accepted. We try to operate within our means.

“The commissioners do not simply sit and react to things as they happen,” he said. “We are planning ahead. It is one thing to talk about the changes that need to be made in Clarion County and another to address them.”

Heasley said that since he was elected the county’s fund balance has increased from about $3 million to more than $5 million.

“We purchased the old Goodwill building and other buildings for our DA and EMA which will save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said.

“We have a problem with unfunded mandates,” said Heasley. “If state and federal officials want to mandate something put the money to it or don’t send it to us.”

“We can’t change the past but we can have a productive future,” said Heasley.

Braxton White

White is an Army veteran, a Clarion Area School Board member and a member of the Clarion County Career Center operating committee.

“Poverty is the number one problem facing our region and our policies as elected officials need to reflect that,” said White.

“I was proud to support my LGBT brothers and sisters in arms before President Obama repealed the oppressive don’t ask, don’t tell policy,” he said.

“I have seen the awful effects of the war that my generation has spent their entire adult lives fighting,” he said. “For the doubters out there, access to medical marijuana has changed the lives of so many of the heroes affected by that fight.

“Our schools are regularly the last and sometimes the only line of defense when it comes for caring for and protecting the children in our communities,” he said. “In my time on the Clarion Area School Board and the Career Center board, I have made every decision with the students, dedicated teachers and paraprofessionals who guide them in the forefront of my mind.”

He said empathy and compassion are the reasons he is running for commissioner.

“This is why I have been backing things like public transit expansion to help our most vulnerable get to work and help our employers find a new pool of workers,” he said.

“This is why I have been pushing blight reduction,” he said. “To make our communities more attractive to outsiders and more importantly better for those who live here.”

“This is why I have been advocating for CYS (Children and Youth Services) case workers,” he said.

Ted Tharan

“We have a book that we operate by. It is called the County Code,” he said. “It tells you what you can and cannot do as a county commissioner. Many of the problems we have in today’s society we cannot control. We are not allowed to pass laws.

“I also said four years ago that I would eliminate waste,” said Tharan. “All government has waste. You don’t start by saying here is what we want to spend this year. You find out your revenue and then you bring your expenditures to it.

“You must save for a rainy day,” he said. “There are always things that come up. The rule in county government is that you should have two or three months of expenses set aside. In Clarion County that equals about $3 million. Four years ago our fund balance was $1 to $1.5 million. Today, our fund balance is over $5 million. This year we should be $500,000 to $600,000 under budget.”

“We have got a lot accomplished in the last four years,” said Tharan. “We found we needed a new office for the district attorney. The last 20 years we leased office space for the district attorney. We spent over $300,000 on that leased space. We are in the process of purchasing an office for the district attorney for $150,000. We will have that paid for in 10 years.”

Wayne Brosius

“This last term we had no tax increase,” said Brosius. “There has been no increase in county debt. Everything we have done in the past four years we have had the money to pay for.

“We have spent your money wisely,” he said. “We have gotten rid of some rentals because we think owning is a better way to go.

“One thing that I hear over and over again is that the people want the commissioners to get along,” he said. “I think we have done that.”

“A big function of county government is lending a helping hand,” said Brosius. “We have been doing things that are common sense, things we can afford to do.

“I am very supportive of veterans,” he said. “I have helped put flags in cemeteries and voted to put up a new monument in Veteran’s Park for Gulf War veterans and voted to give assistance for veterans parks in Rimersburg, New Bethlehem and Sligo. I also assisted in developing a transportation system for veterans so they could get to appointments. We also have a fund to help veterans in need.”

“We have gone from high unemployment to low unemployment. These next four years I want to concentrate on the workforce in Clarion County,” said Brosius, who sits on the Workforce board.

“I have been a positive voice for Clarion County,” he said. “Positive thinking will help you do a lot more than negative thinking. I pledge to continue to make Clarion County a great place to live and work. I can’t do it alone. I need your help and I need the other two commissioners help as well.”