On Thursday Oct. 29, 2009, West Chester University hosted an Open Forum for the 2009 Chester County Row candidates at the Philips Autograph Library. The event was held as an informational session for WCU students and members of the West Chester community to gain more information about each local government candidate and their respective offices before the election takes place today, Nov. 2.
Republican and Democratic candidates for the positions of clerk of courts, controller, coroner and treasurer were present to introduce their platforms and answer questions from the audience.
Newly-elected Mayor of West Chester, Carolyn Comitta, opened the event with a speech on the realities of getting students more actively involved with voting. She also stressed the importance of the individual voter in elections, referring to the 19 votes that separated her from her opponent for the position of mayor.
After Mayor Comitta’s comments, Shannon Marcoon and Shane Seaver, senior political science majors at WCU and coordinators of the event, provided the formal introduction that commenced the evening’s discussions.
Dr. Peter Loedel, chair of the political science department at WCU, presided over the event as moderator between the candidates for each office.
The candidates were required to give a five-minute presentation about the responsibilities handled by their potential offices and their background and qualification for the positions.
The candidates presented their platforms in order according to the position they were running for and their political party affiliation.
Each of the nominees represented an array of educational and professional backgrounds.
Before running for the clerk of courts position, Republican candidate Frank McElwaine worked extensively within the oil industry, and Democratic candidate Mike McGann worked as a journalist and began a web development company.
Other candidates demonstrated dedication to their respective offices through their experience in closely-related fields.
Democratic candidate Kipp Stone and Republican candidate Ann Duke both demonstrated their qualifications for the Chester County treasurer position through their careers in finance and business management.
Additionally, Republican candidate Dr. Steve Dickter and Democratic candidate Dr. Megan Lynott discussed their careers in the medical field in relation to the responsibilities of a coroner in local government.
The candidates also related their platforms to their knowledge of the needs of the surrounding community. Recognizing the effects of the economic downturn on residents of Chester County, Jim Reilly, the Democratic candidate for controller, addressed the financial responsibility associated with his potential office in local government.
“Fiscal management does not start at the end of a budget’s year, but at the beginning,” Reilly said.
Current controller for Chester County and Republican nominee Val DiGiorgio also addressed the needs of Chester County residents by describing changes that reduced the budget and positively impacted the community. DiGiorgio stated that the local government “can do more with less of a burden on taxpayers.”
After each nominee presented their platform, they fielded questions from members of the audience. The candidates responded to questions regarding tax policy, improvements needed within each office, and their education and work experience.
Dr. Loedel and WCU student coordinators Marcoon and Seaver extended their thanks to the candidates at the program’s end.
With the help of West Chester University, students and members of the greater West Chester community had the opportunity to learn more about the individual local government candidates who value the political participation of their constituents.
Jen James is a third-year student majoring in English. She can be reached at JJ655874@wcupa.edu.