Council president running for Berks treasurer
As Jack Gombach sees it, treasurer is one of the most important positions in county government.
The county treasurer is responsible for collecting taxes and managing county bank accounts; issuing dog and hunting licenses; administering the state small games of chance law; and participating on the county pension board.
“The treasurer serves as both the revenue officer for the county in its capacity as the chief tax collector and the elected fiduciary for the county who sits on various boards related to that role,” he said. “Building public trust through transparency as the custodian of public money is very important.”
Gombach, who serves as West Reading Borough Council president, said he wants to take on those responsibilities. And he’s hoping voters in Berks County are willing to take a chance on him.
The Republican will compete against incumbent A. Dennis Adams, who is seeking his third term, for the party nomination in the May primary. No Democrats have announced campaigns for the office.
Gombach is president and CEO of the Myerstown Vitality Partnership, a public-private organization founded in late 2019 that focuses on economic revitalization and new business development in the borough. He was previously director of development and marketing of Habitat for Humanity of Berks County.
He also serves on multiple boards, including Reading Area Community College and Friends of Reading Hospital.
Gombach said there are a number of initiatives he would implement as treasurer if elected. That includes finding ways to better integrate technology, reducing the costs associated with online payments, working with municipalities to help collect revenue and building relationships with community partners.
He pointed to his recent work in West Reading as an example of how he thinks the county could build better relationships.
The borough announced this month that it was partnering with Customers Bank to provide its streamlined Paycheck Protection Program application process and portal to the local business community. With the partnership, West Reading became one of more than 20 municipalities and organizations to join forces with Customers Bank.
“Government, at its core, is a public service provider and we should always be looking for ways to make interaction with the government seamless and efficient,” the 29-year-old said. “We should also be fighting waste and fraud so that we can make government work better.”
He said bringing better transparency to the office is also something he believes he can improve. That means making sure a clear accounting of the county’s finances are available for the public to view online.
“The information needs to be accessible and easy to understand,” he said. “I think the financial data should be no different than looking at your own bank statement and it should provide you with the same amount of information.”
The county treasurer serves a four-year term and has an annual salary of $83,970. The primary election is May 18.