Longtime controller will not seek reelection
After nearly two decades of running the office that pays Berks County’s bills and examines the financial health of its departments, Sandy Graffius is stepping away from the post.
The longtime controller announced Wednesday, Jan. 11, that she will not seek reelection when her term expires later this year.
Graffius was first elected to the post in 2004.
“After much thought, I have decided not to seek another term as controller,” the Reading Republican said. “I am proud of the team we built over the last 20 years and know I leave the office in good hands.”
Graffius said during her tenure she has seen the changes her team has made.
“The county has moved from a poor financial condition to one that is now robust with a fully funded pension plan, money in the bank, cash forecasting and a clear and concise financial reporting procedure,” the 86-year-old said.
Graffius said these developments were accomplished by bringing in new people to serve in a variety of positions within the office in addition to the support given to her office by the budget director and county commissioners. She also credited the business acumen of the people she hired along the way, which she said she found useful in her efforts to run the county more efficiently.
Business was, after all, something Graffius knew a lot about before getting elected.
She had helped her late husband run the family business, Graffius Burial Vault, until his death in 1981. She then took over as president and continued running the company until she decided to run for office in 2004.
Graffius said that when she first came to the county she quickly realized that her opinion of government workers as overpaid and underworked was deeply flawed. She said she learned they were a dedicated group of people who simply were not being given the resources and training needed to grow financially.
“The first thing our accountants did was hold briefing sessions teaching the departments how to access and read reports available pertaining to their budgets,” she said. “We also sent our staff to conferences and seminars to sharpen their skills.”
Graffius said the first real test for her office was launching a countywide financial reporting system in 2009, which tested many people throughout various departments.
Over the years the office has been gradually rolling out all the new efficiencies that the system makes possible. Each new step means the department runs more smoothly and results in a savings of taxpayer dollars, she said.
Although Graffius said she is proud of her accomplishments as controller, she said she is looking forward to building something completely new.
She said her next adventure will be launching a show on Berks Community Television geared toward older adults. The show, “Strictly for Seniors,” will focus on the educational and recreational resources available in Berks.