Tim Brooks, chairman of the Venango County commissioners, stirred up more than the electorate with his announcement this week that he will wage a late write-in campaign to win a fourth term.
Three of the four candidates whose names are listed on the ballot questioned his timing as well as his suggestions that they were inexperienced and intended to use the commissioner's job as a stepping stone to higher elective office.
kAm'@E6CD H:== 6=64E E9C66 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD @? %F6D52J] %96C6 2C6 7@FC 42?5:52E6D =:DE65 @? E96 32==@E 2?5 E96J 2C6 q@??:6 $F>>6CD 2?5 p=36CE Qr9:AQ p3C2>@G:4[ 3@E9 s6>@4C2ED[ 2?5 $2> qC66?6 2?5 |:<6 sF=2?6J[ 3@E9 #6AF3=:42?D]k^Am
kAmqC@@<D ;@:?D E96 7@FCD@>6 2D 2 HC:E6\:? 42?5:52E6] w6 =@DE 2 3:5 7@C E96 v~! ?@5 :? E96 DAC:?8 AC:>2CJ]k^Am
kAmw:D C62D@? 7@C 6?E6C:?8 E96 C246 =6DD E92? 2 H66< 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@? H2D AC@>AE65[ 96 D2:5[ 3J 6?4@FC286>6?E 7C@> >2?J A6@A=6 E@ C6\6?E6C E96 C246] %96:C 4@?46C?D[ 96 D2:5[ C2?865 7C@> D@>6 42?5:52E6DV =24< @7 6IA6C:6?46 E@ 2 ?@E:@? E92E E96:C E6?FC6 :? 4@F?EJ @77:46 H@F=5 36 D9@CE 2D E96J G:65 7@C 7FCE96C A@=:E:42= A@DED]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ ?@E65 A6@A=6 36=:6G65 9:D 23D6?46 7C@> E96 @77:46 H@F=5 =62G6 E96 4@>>:DD:@?6CD @77:46 H:E9@FE Q2 4@?E:?F:EJ[ ]]] 2 <?@H=6586 32D6]Qk^Am
kAm%96 4C:E:4:D> 6IAC6DD65 3J E9@D6 4@F?EJ C6D:56?ED 7@4FD65 @? p3C2>@G:4[ qC66?6 2?5 sF=2?6J[ D2:5 qC@@<D] $F>>6CD 925 62C=:6C D6CG65 2D 2? 6=64E65 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6C H:E9 qC@@<D 2?5 96 6IAC6DD65 25>:C2E:@? 7@C 96C 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 D6CG:46]k^Am
kAmx? =62C?:?8 @7 qC@@<DV AF3=:4 2??@F?46>6?E E92E 96 H:== CF? 2 HC:E6\:? 42>A2:8? 2?5 E96 ?6HDA2A6CVD :?E6?E:@? E@ AF3=:D9 2 ?6HD DE@CJ @? E92E 56G6=@A>6?E[ p3C2>@G:4[ H9@ D6CG6D H:E9 qC@@<D 2?5 :D 4@>A=6E:?8 9:D 7:CDE E6C> :? @77:46[ E@@< F>3C286 2E 3@E9 E96 4@>>:DD:@?6CVD E:>:?8 2?5 E96 A2A6CVD 4@?D:56C2E:@? @7 9:D HC:E6\:? 42?5:524J 2D 2 ?6HD DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmQxE D66>D E92E 2??@F?4:?8 ;FDE 52JD AC:@C E@ E96 6=64E:@?[ E92E :E H2D E@ 86E 7C66 AC6DD[Q D2:5 p3C2>@G:4] Qx 5@?VE D66 9@H :E :D ?6HDH@CE9J 2?5 :E D66>D >2?:AF=2E:G6]Qk^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 E96 C624E:@?D E@ qC@@<DV 2??@F?46>6?E 2?5 9:D C6>2C<D 4@?46C?:?8 E96 42?5:52E6Dik^Am
kAm$F>>6CDk^Am
kAmQx 36=:6G6 :E :D 6G6CJ3@5JVD 5FEJ E@ D6CG6] x E9:?< %:> D6CG65 E96 4@F?EJ H6==[ 6DA64:2==J H:E9 9:D 7:D42= 23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAmp?5[ x 36=:6G6 E92E :7 A6@A=6 H2?E >6 :? @77:46[ E96J H:== G@E6 7@C >6[ C682C5=6DD @7 H9@ :D CF??:?8]k^Am
kAmx E9:?< x 92G6 D9@H? >J 23:=:EJ[ >J G2=F6D[ >J 4@>>:E>6?E 2?5 E96 724E E92E x 42? 36 DF446DD7F=[ ?@ >2EE6C H9@ :D CF??:?8 7@C @77:46]k^Am
kAm$FC6[ 92G:?8 9:> :? E96 C246 H:== 492?86 E9:?8D 2?5 E96C6 >2J 36 2 5:776C6?E H2J A6@A=6 H:== G@E6 ?@H] qFE x DE:== 36=:6G6 :? >JD6=7 2?5 >J 4@F?EJ]Qk^Am
kAmsF=2?6Jk^Am
kAmQw6 :D 23D@=FE6=J H:E9:? 9:D C:89ED E@ 5@ 2 HC:E6\:? 2?5 A6@A=6 5@ E9:D 2== E96 E:>6] %96 5:776C6?46 :? >J >:?5 :D E92E E96 G@E6CD 2=C625J 564:565 E@ E2<6 E96 4@F?EJ :? 2 ?6H 5:C64E:@?] pD 72C 2D E96 ;@3 36:?8 2 DE6AA:?8 DE@?6[ E92E :D ?@E H9J x 2> :? E9:D] x 42C6 23@FE E9:D 4@F?EJ] (6 H6C6 :??@G2E@CD 96C6 @?46 2?5 H6 =:E6C2==J 492?865 E96 H@C=5] (6 42? 5@ :E 282:? 2?5 E92EVD H9J xV> CF??:?8]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C :?6IA6C:6?46[ x 2> DE2CE:?8 @FE H:E9 E96 <?@H=6586 @7 9@H =@42= 8@G6C?>6?E @A6C2E6D 2D 2 4:EJ 4@F?4:= >6>36C] (96? 96 D2:5 96 H2D E96 @?6 H:E9 6IA6C:6?46[ :E 5:5?VE DFCAC:D6 >6 3FE E96 ECFE9 :D[ E96 4@F?EJ 92D 366? 96C6 7@C >@C6 E92? a__ J62CD 2?5 :E H:== 36 96C6 2?@E96C a__ J62CD] %96 G@E6CD H:== >2<6 E96 49@:46 2D E@ H96C6 E96:C 8@G6C?>6?E H:== CF?]Qk^Am
kAm$2> qC66?6k^Am
kAmQxV5 366? 962C:?8 H9:DA6CD 23@FE :E D:?46 E96 52J 27E6C E96 AC:>2CJ 3FE x 5:5?VE 6IA64E :E] qFE H92E H2D >@C6 F?6IA64E65 H2D 96 H@F=5 H2:E F?E:= E96 =2DE >:?FE6 2?5 2??@F?46 2 42?5:524J]k^Am
kAm%96 :>A24E[ x E9:?<[ H:== 36 >:?:>2= @? E96 6=64E:@? 3642FD6 E96 A6@A=6 DA@<6 :? E96 DAC:?8 W6=64E:@?X 2?5 H6 H6?E E9C@F89 E92E AC@46DD] x? E2=<:?8 E@ D@ >2?J A6@A=6 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H >@?E9D[ x 92G6?VE 962C5 >F49 5:D4@?E6?E H:E9 E96 ?@>:?66D \ '6?2?8@ r@F?EJ G@E6CD H6C6 C625J 7@C 2 492?86 D@ x 5@?VE 6IA64E E@ D66 C6DF=ED E92E 5@?VE C67=64E E92E 56D:C6 7@C 492?86]k^Am
kAmx C6DA64E E96 D6CG:46 %:> qC@@<D 92D 8:G6? E96 4@F?EJ 3FE :E H2D 5:DC6DA64E7F= @7 9:> E@ 5:D>:DD E96 6IA6C:6?46 @7 9F?5C65D @7 4@F?EJ H@C<6CD[ 56A2CE>6?E 9625D 2?5 5:C64E@CD 2D 36:?8 :?4@?D6BF6?E:2=] %92E H2D 5:D>:DD:G6]k^Am
kAmxE H@F=5 36 2 DEC2?86 DE6AA:?8 DE@?6 W7C@> 4@>>:DD:@?6C E@ 2 9:896C @77:46X 2?5 E92EVD ?@E 2 4@?46C? @7 >:?6] tG6? :7 2?J @7 FD H@F=5 D6CG6 :? 2?@E96C 6=64E:G6 @77:46[ 9@H 5@6D E92E E2<6 2H2J 7C@> E96 BF2=:EJ 2?5 4@>>:E>6?E H6 H@F=5 8:G6 E@ E9:D @77:46n x 92G6 ?@ :?E6?E:@? @7 ?@E 8:G:?8 `__ A6C46?E @7 >J D6CG:46 E@ E96 4@F?EJ 2?5 x 6IA64E E@ 36 244@F?E23=6 E@ E96 G@E6CD]Qk^Am
kAmp3C2>@G:4k^Am
kAmQx 2> E@@ 7@4FD65 @? >J @H? 42>A2:8? 2?5 H@C<:?8 7@C E96 A6@A=6 @7 '6?2?8@ r@F?EJ]k^Am
kAmx 5@?VE 7@==@H @E96C A6@A=6DV 42>A2:8?:?8] u@C 9:> E@ ;@:? E96 C246[ :E :D H92E :E :D]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C 6IA6C:6?46[ @FC 56A2CE>6?E 9625D 2?5 @E96CD 2C6 H@C<:?8 5:=:86?E=J] %96 4@F?EJ :D ?@E CF? 3J @?6 A6CD@?] xE E2<6D 2 E62> @7 2== @7 FD]k^Am
kAmp DE6AA:?8 DE@?6n x7 x 6G6C 5:5 CF? 7@C 2?@E96C @77:46[ x H@F=5?VE 5@ E92E F?=6DD x 925 >256 '6?2?8@ r@F?EJ 8C62E] *@F 92G6 E@ 92G6 2 EC24< C64@C5 E@ 8@ @?]k^Am
kAmx 5@?VE E9:?< 9:> 6?E6C:?8 E96 C246 H:== 92G6 2?J :>A24E] %96 AF3=:4 G@E65 :? E96 DAC:?8] %92EVD H9J H6 92G6 2 AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?]Qk^Am