Nov 3, 2019 4 min read

When municipal elections rolled around in Pennsylvania two years ago, voter turnout was 26.4%. That means close to three out of every four voters in the commonwealth stayed home.

Granted, choosing members of a borough council or board of commissioners doesn’t typically carry the same sort of gravity as picking a president. Books have not been penned and legends have not been spun about efforts to make someone a register of wills or a prothonotary. But voters shouldn’t languish on the sidelines and let other people make choices for them about how their tax dollars are spent on the local level.

They should vote.

On Tuesday, voters in Washington and Greene counties will be deciding who will be their commissioners for the next four years. Other marquee races include district attorney races in both counties and, in the city of Washington, who will be mayor. Here’s who we think would be the best choices:

In Greene County, Democratic incumbents Blair Zimmerman and Dave Coder are running for re-election to the board of commissioners, with two Republicans, Mike Belding and Betsy Rohanna McClure, also seeking spots. Perhaps the core issue facing Greene is attracting economic development and stemming a loss of population, and we believe Zimmerman and Coder are best-positioned to navigate Greene through this passage given the depth of experience they bring to the table. Belding would be a solid addition to the board. A well-traveled former Marine colonel and native of Greene County, Belding is conversant in the issues facing the board and would bring fresh ideas to the discussion.

Greene is facing a changing of the guard in the district attorney’s office as a result of the retirement of Marjorie Fox, who has been the county’s DA for almost two decades. Republican David Russo, a Waynesburg attorney, is facing off against Democrat Jessica Phillips, a part-time assistant district attorney in Fox’s office. Phillips receives our endorsement by default – Russo scheduled an interview with our editorial board, canceled it, and did not respond to multiple requests to reschedule. Phillips is only 30, and received a law degree just five years ago, but says she will bring discipline and tenacity to the district attorney’s office, and make some administrative adjustments that will allow the cases to be better tracked. Voters should give her the chance to prove herself.

In the Washington County district attorney’s office, voters have a choice between the continuity that would come from re-electing Republican Gene Vittone, or making a change with Jake Mihalov, a youthful Democrat making his first bid for public office. Mihalov is energetic and promises a different approach on several fronts. He is an impressive candidate, and we hope he remains a presence in Washington County politics. But Vittone deserves a third term. He has weathered a few controversies during his tenure, but should be praised for reducing his office’s caseload through diversionary programs and his office’s approach to the opioid epidemic. Vittone is a proven and thoughtful community leader who should be kept in office.

Washington County’s voters will also decide Tuesday whether to maintain the status quo on the board of commissioners and support incumbents Larry Maggi, Harlan Shober and Diana Irey Vaughan, or shake things up by voting out one of the commissioners in favor of Nick Sherman, a 40-year-old Republican making his second try to get on the board. The best course of action would be for voters to stick with Maggi, Shober and Irey Vaughan. Democrats Maggi and Shober have a good working relationship with Irey Vaughan, a Republican, and the stability on the board has generated confidence among other elected officials in Washington County and those looking to invest in the community. They have earned our confidence, and Maggi, Shober and Irey Vaughan should be given four more years to lead the county.

In the city of Washington, incumbent Democratic mayor Scott Putnam is facing a challenge from Mark Kennison, a Republican who owns several properties in Washington’s downtown, including President’s Pub. Kennison would probably be an avid proponent of downtown businesses if he becomes mayor, but would face a steep learning curve when it comes to the other aspects of the job. Putnam, on the other hand, has done commendable work as Washington’s mayor over the last four years, overseeing a period of downtown revitalization and guiding the city through the collapse of an apartment building on North Main Street. The city still has a number of long-term problems, including blight and an infrastructure that has seen better days, and Putnam is best-suited to help resolve these and other issues.