Board maintains leadership

For the Chester County commissioners, it’s out with the old and in with the … well, the same cast of characters, frankly.

On Monday, the three-member board announced that there would be no changes in the organizational structure of the board leading into the 2019 year, in which all the seats are up for election and each of the current members have announced their intention to run for re-election.

Republican Commissioner Michele Kichline will remain as chairwoman, while her Democratic counterpart, Kathi Cozzone, will return as vice chairwoman. Commissioner Terence Farrell, the board’s second Republican, rounds out the trio.

The un-reorganization, if you will, was conducted without comment from the commissioners.

Kichline, Cozzone and Farrell will now all seek their party’s endorsement and nomination in the May primary, ahead of the general election in November that will see five other row offices up for election: district attorney, sheriff, prothonotary, recorder of deeds, and register of wills.

Kichline and Farrell are reportedly running without opposition for the GOP’s nomination, but Cozzone will apparently be joined by three others in the quest for the Democratic nomination.

According to Chester County Democratic Committee Chairman Richard Bingham, the others who have said they would like to secure the nomination are:

• Virginia Kerskale, a West Whiteland resident who is involved in the fight against the Mariner East pipeline and who was campaign manager for state Rep. Daniell Friel Otten, D-155th, of West Whiteland in her successful run against the Republican incumbent for that seat, Becky Corbin;

• Downingtown Mayor Josh

Maxwell, who has run for state representative in three previous elections, most recently in a losing race for the Democrat’s nomination for the 74th Legislative District seat now held by Rep. Dan Williams;

• Marian Moskowitz, a Tredyffrin businesswoman and community activist who ran for the 157th Legslative District seat held by then-state Rep. Warren Kampf in 2014.

Bingham said the committee’s executive group would not endorse any of the four until after its nominating convention in late January or mid-March.

“My view is that the ultimate decision is made by the voters,” he said Monday. “We’ll try to get an endorsement from our committee members then, and will then inform our voters who we think is the better choice.”

It is the fourth time on the ballot for both Cozzone and Farrell, and the second for Kichline.

Kichline, of Tredyffrin, has served on the board of commissioners since December 2014, when she was appointed to fill the term previously held by Commissioner Ryan Costello.

Cozzone, of Uwchlan, was first elected in 2007, while Farrell, of West Chester, who had served as county recorder of deeds, was elected to the commissioner’s seat in that year as well.