Statement on Upcoming Election

Commissioner Mark W. Smith's Statement on Upcoming Election

November 5, 2011

As election day draws closer, letters to the editor and the attacks on the candidates have made their way to the pages of the local papers. Even more concerning is a widespread mail piece which misconstrues decisions I've made while in office. That piece of mail, sent out by the Republican Party, attempts to frame me as a job killer and even pictures President Barack Obama as it maligns my record as your commissioner.

I experienced such negative attacks in the last commissioners’ election and was ultimately able to rise above them. I hope voters in this election follow me once again in taking the high road to make our county a better place to live. I hope you, as voters, support what I believe, not as a Democrat or a Republican, but as people who reject the nasty politics that we see in Washington and in Harrisburg. We do not need to bring it into this county.

The other candidates in this election have decided to bring a darker side of politics into the county election cycle. By misconstruing the facts, and attacking my character and accomplishments, they attempt to make themselves look better by tarnishing the way people view me. There is no better example than the Clean and Green issue that came about a few years ago.

Clean and Green was a simple issue. The existing state law did not allow the county to change the policy on rollbacks for gas drilling. The law needed to be changed to allow it. I thought long and hard about my decision on the matter. But at the end of the day I read the law, the county attorney read the law, and I believed I had no choice, but to follow the law. Even if my decision was unpopular with some and meant it would be used against me in the election, it was the right decision as the person elected to do the county’s business in accordance with the law.

The fact is, I worked long and hard to see that the state law was changed. I worked on it not only as a commissioner for Bradford County, but also as an elected board member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

I took an oath of office. I believe in it. I believe it is my job to follow the law. That oath is to you, the people I serve, and it is an oath under God. I take it seriously and I have served by it steadfastly.

Another great example of twisted political statements has been about my role in a tax raise in 2008. There is no doubt taxes needed to be adjusted, and as chairman of the commissioners, I had to do it. There is no politician on earth that would want to raise taxes, especially their first year in office. However, the truth is the tax raise was a small adjustment to the levy and was probably one of the smallest ever. It equaled approximately $19.00 per year increase on a house assessed at $100,000. It has been the only increase since 2008, and it is far less than the tax increase voted for by the previous board of commissioners just a few years prior.

Unfortunately, decisions made prior to my first year in office presented significant budget challenges which included a diminished fund balance, a nursing home that was losing money, an overpriced and failed 911 readdressing project, and nearly $1 million of no bid contracts, just to name a few. These issues forced a tax increase and other tough actions such as layoffs and the closing of daycare facilities. None of those decisions were easy, they are not decisions one wants to make, but they are decisions a county commissioner has to make. As a responsible commissioner, you cannot operate the county on convenient, politically savvy soundbites and headlines. Over the last three years, I have worked tirelessly to see that these issues were resolved. Each one of these issues, and many more, have been resolved. To be successful you have to make real business decisions and, the fact is, that sometimes they hurt, but they still have to be done.

I have repeatedly been attacked on my views for a tax or fee on natural gas development that would benefit our local communities. My stance on the development of natural gas in our county has remained the same since the beginning of their development. I believe the county, local municipalities, and emergency responders should receive revenue from the industry to cover the financial impact natural gas development puts on these entities. I have been lobbying for that since the outset of the issue. I have lobbied both Democrats and Republicans at the state level.

We are experiencing incredible growth at a breakneck pace. That is a good situation. However we need to be realistic and address the growing pains along with the growth. That means addressing issues such as long term economic development, an increasing prison population, a growing need for emergency responders, and to ensure a continued commitment to our county’s infrastructure needs.

I find no shame in wanting more for our county. I find no shame in wanting more for our local townships and boroughs. I find no shame in wanting more for our emergency responders. It is my job as commissioner to see that our county, our communities, and our volunteers come first. That should be the job of every county commissioner.

People often ask me, especially in times like these, how I work in an environment with people who would rather tear me apart for their own gain than to partner with me for the good of our county. They want to know why I don’t levy the same sort of attacks and accusations. My answer is simple; I don’t want to be the man who tears others down. I don’t want to promote myself on the backs of others. If on Tuesday I am unsuccessful at this election because I failed to run my opponents into the ground, then so be it.

I will be happy with the person I chose to be in the election. I will always be proud of the opportunity I was given to serve the people of this county as chairman of the commissioners. I will forever be proud to be a young man who grew up in a trailer in Ridgebury with a single father and three sisters, and despite the odds, I was elected. I was elected to a job that I consider gratifying. I was elected to serve my community.

In this business of politics it is accepted that attacks will come. I have endured them before and made it through an election successfully. However, I still believe candidates can be elected by promoting their positive accomplishments, rather than attacking others. I don't want politics in Bradford County to resemble what we see in Harrisburg and Washington.

There are some who believe in the darker side of campaigning and think that is what politics should be. I disagree. That is why I don't engage in that kind of campaigning. I state what I believe. I state my accomplishments. I want to let my record and my character speak for itself. I believe that is the right way to run for office.

It makes me proud to serve as a commissioner knowing that I did my job and ran my campaign with integrity. I ask you to join me in continuing to make Bradford County a place in which we value building each other up, rather than tearing each other down.

Best Regards,

Mark W. Smith