May 13, 2017 2 min read

Recently, Gov. Tom Wolf appointed two Washington County commissioners to committees serving the entire commonwealth. This is no small accomplishment, and deserves to be recognized by all Washington County residents.

First, Harlan Shober was placed on the Pennsylvania Local Government Advisory Committee. Second, Larry Maggi was chosen to serve on the statewide County Probation and Parole Officers’ Firearm Education and Training Committee.

In addition to these appointments, Shober is in the middle of his term as president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

These appointments are not ceremonial, and require hard work on the part of our commissioners. Pennsylvania has 67 counties, many with larger populations than Washington. There is much effort involved in gaining a consensus on important issues across the commonwealth.

The needs and perspectives of Pennsylvania counties are as diverse as the entire country and span all demographics from urban, to growing bedroom communities to farmland to sparsely populated forested areas. Too often Philadelphia and Allegheny counties monopolize the statewide boards, committees and commissions. This leaves rural or suburban areas with limited say in setting the statewide agenda or in formulating policy.

Our commissioners have been chosen because of their singular talents and ability to bring a unique point of view to the table. County governments have special needs that are often ignored by our elected state representatives. Property taxes, funding the court system and Act 13 funding are among these pressing issues.

Both Washington County and the commonwealth are well served by these appointments and our commissioners should be congratulated.

Gary Stout

Washington