Berks County row office candidates make pitch to voters
LEESPORT >> Candidates running for Berks County row offices got a chance to speak to voters at a candidate forum held by the Berks County Patriots.
The Democrat and Republican candidates for sheriff, recorder of deeds and clerk of courts each took the stage inside the Leesport Farmer’s Market to share a little bit about themselves, why they’re running and their plans for the respective offices.
The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Sheriff
The headline event of the night — which got 30 minutes of stage time compared to 15 minutes each for the other races — was the battle for sheriff.
Incumbent Eric Weaknecht, a Republican who has been in office since 2007, and Democrat challenger Bart Ganster, a constable, shared some playful tension during their session. Weaknecht joked that Ganster couldn’t pass the physical tests sheriff’s deputy applicants face, and Ganster later teased that he might invoke a red-flag law on the sheriff — which allows authorities to, among other things, confiscate someone’s guns if someone reports them as a danger — after the way Weaknecht treated him.
Despite some personal sparing, the two candidates didn’t differ on all that much.
Both said they are strong supporters of the Second Amendment, are against sanctuary cities and aren’t fans of those red flag laws.
Weaknecht, 54, of Lower Heidelberg Township, touted his experience, saying he has worked in the sheriff’s office for 35 years, moving up the ranks before taking over the department 12 years ago. He proudly talked about making the office more user-friendly and creating five satellite sites and a substation where people can get gun licenses.
He also spoke about being able to understand deputies when they come to him with problems or concerns because he was once in their shoes. “I’ve faced it,” he said. And, Weaknecht said, his department is professional and effective. Particularly in going out and picking up bad guys.
“We are good at it,” he said. “We are extremely good at it.”
Ganster, 56, of St. Lawrence, said his plans for the office consist of securing the Berks County Courthouse, supporting and respecting local police, fiscal responsibility and training.
He said one thing he would like to see changed is how deputies are used. He accused Weaknecht of making the office “all about him,” adding he would give deputies assignments and make them feel important.
He said the office needs a better culture and work environment.
Ganster said that along with his experience as a constable he also has experience managing people, having run several businesses. He said he prides himself on getting the best out of those working for him.
“I make my people better,” he said.
Ganster suggested having the office’s satellite sites open Saturdays, a move Weaknecht said would require paying an employee overtime and isn’t worth the cost.
The sheriff’s debate closed with a back and forth over how much Ganster was paid as a constable.
Weaknecht accused Ganster of abusing the system to enrich himself, claiming he had made more than $900,000 as a constable. The sheriff went on to say the way constables are paid needs to be changed.
Ganster admitted he has made a lot of money, but stood by how he made it.
“I worked a lot of hours; I served a lot of warrants,” he said.
Ganster said constables in Berks have been investigated three times over his career and he was never found to have done anything wrong.
“I did nothing illegal,” he said. “I work, that’s what I do.”
Recorder of deed
The recorder of deeds debate got a bit testy as well.
Incumbent Fred Sheeler, a Democrat, harped on Republican challenger Mary Kozak for failing to complete the proper paperwork to run in the May primary election. Kozak’s petition was challenged, and she withdrew it, running instead as a write-in candidate.
Sheeler said it was a sign that Kozak struggles to follow directions and doesn’t pay attention to details, things that are important when dealing with deeds and other land documents.
Sheeler said the paperwork in question was a state ethics form that she failed to sign and didn’t answer 12 of the 15 questions.
Kozak said she owned up to the paperwork mistakes, but did not explain why she didn’t answer several of the questions on the form.
As for the rest of their debate, Kozak said she’s the right person for the job because she’s approachable and has experience in customer service and sales. She’s also in tune with technology and said she plans to keep the office on the cutting edge.
One major change Kozak said she would make is having the office open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., instead of closing at 4 p.m. as it does now.
Sheeler said the reason the office closes at 4 p.m. is because he has cut staff — a cost-saving and efficiency move — and because many documents are filed electronically there are usually a bunch waiting to be processed first thing in the morning. The entire staff needs to be on hand for that, he said, making staggering start times in order to stay open until 5 p.m. impossible.
Sheeler, 56, of Bern Township, said he should be reelected because he took the office from the brink of collapse to success.
In his 11 years on the job, he said, he’s streamlined the office, introduced new computer programs and digitized all documents and decreased expenses by $2 million a year.
Clerk of courts
The contest for clerk of courts is between a longtime incumbent and an employee of the office.
James P. Troutman, 72, of Hamburg, is seeking his ninth four-year term.
Andrea Jefferson, 62, of Spring Township, has spent the last 13 years working in the clerk of courts office and wants to take charge of it.
Jefferson said the office has been running all right, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.
“OK is not good enough,” she said, later adding that some new blood could do the office well. “Sometimes you just need fresh eyes and new ideas.”
Jefferson said the office needs to update its technology, a move that could save significant amounts of money. She said she has visited clerk of courts offices in other counties and has a host of ideas, including allowing documents to be filed electronically.
Troutman said the office is making technological improvements, explaining that just recently it has begun digitizing documents. He questioned Jefferson’s use of “running OK” as a complaint, saying his office doesn’t get any complaints.
“What’s wrong with running OK?” he said. “We’re doing the job we need to do better than OK.”