Voters head to polls Tuesday

BY STACI WILSON

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, to cast their ballots for county and municipal leaders.

County Director of Elections Laura Watts reminded voters of two polling booth changes.

Jackson Twp. voters will now cast their ballots at the Jackson Twp. building.

Voters in the Montrose, second ward, will head to the Montrose Borough Building, Cherry St.

Although a supervisor position was not listed on the primary ballot in Great Bend Twp., after clarification from the township solicitor, the six-year seat will appear on the general election ballot as a write-in.

Incumbent supervisor Walt Galloway currently holds the seat but no names were placed on the ballot by either party.

Countywide ballots will be cast for commissioners, auditors, district attorney, treasurer, coroner and register & recorder seats.

In the race for commissioner, two republican and two democratic candidates seek the three available positions. Voters can cast ballots

for two commissioner candidates.

Michael Giangrieco, R,ForestLakeTwp., is an incumbent commissioner who has served one term. Giangrieco formerly served as the county solicitor and maintains a law practice in Montrose.

Alan Hall, R, Hallstead, currently serves as the president of the Blue Ridge School Board and is active volunteer in several organizations, including Little League.

MaryAnn Warren, D,New Milford, is a two-term incumbent commissioner. She also serves as the president of the Pennsylvania

Association of Conservation Districts and also serves on the State Conservation Commission.

Leon Allen, D, Springville, is an incumbent commissioner. He has served on the Area Agency on Aging and was the owner of a small business in the community for years. In addition to his work as commissioner, Allen also owns and operates school buses in the Montrose school district.

In the county auditor race, three incumbents are on the ballot, George Starzec, R, Holly Bialy, R, and Susan Jenning, D, as is Democratic candidate Melanie Kozlowsi.

Starzec, Montrose, is a five-term office holder seeking re-election to a sixth term. He is practicing public accountant serving business, farm and individual clients throughout the county and maintains an active interest in Starzec Farms, a third generation family farm.

Bialy, Lenox Twp., is seeking her fifth term as county auditor. She has a background in accounting and experience in financial reporting.

Jennings, Brooklyn Twp., is seeking her second county auditor term. She has over 35 years experience in accounting, corporate and financial banking and the insurance industry, auditing and working for a CPA firm.

Kozlowski, Brooklyn Twp., is seeking election to her first term as a county auditor. She has served as a Democratic Part committeewoman and as secretary of the party. She has over 20 years experience in business management and has worked as the bookkeeper for E.K. Quarries.

No opposition appears on the ballot against the following incumbents, all republicans: District Attorney Jason Legg; County Treasurer Cathy Benedict; Coroner Anothony Conarton; and Register & Recorder Mary Evans.

Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey Hollister is running unopposed. The magisterial district includes Friendsville, Little Meadows and Montrose boroughs, and the townships of Apolacon, Auburn, Bridgewater, Choconut, Dimock, Forest Lake, Franklin, Jessup, Liberty, Middletown, Rush, Silver Lake and Springvile.

After winning the both parties’ nomination in the May primary, attorney Jodi Cordner is running unopposed for Magisterial District Judge in the county’s second district. Current District Judge Peter Janicelli did not seek reelection. The district includes the boroughs ofGreat Bend, Hallstead,New Milford,Oakland, Susquehanna and Thompson, and the townships of Ararat,Great Bend, Harmony, Jackson, New Milford, Oakland and Thompson.

On the municipal level, there are a few contested elections for supervisor and council seats.

In the Bridgewater Twp. supervisor race, incumbent Republican Charles Mead will square off at the polls against Democratic challenger Peter Kane.

The Forest City council race sees Kelley Twilley, who earned the Republican nomination in the primary, will face Bernard Scalzo, Joann Matarese and Barbara Mihelc who earned Democratic slots on the ballot. Twilley had sought the Democratic nomination but was bested by the other three candidates. Voters may cast ballots for up to three council candidates in the race for the four-year seat.

In Oakland Twp., Republican William Wynn faces Democratic nominee Jamie Rodriguez Chilewski for a six-year supervisor seat.

Rush Twp. supervisor Charles Pierson, D, faces a challenge for the six-year seat from Republican Donald Herman Sr.

Five candidates are seeking four available council seats in Susquehanna. Republican nominee Roberta Kelly will face off against Democratic candidates Allen Wolf, Deborah Zayas, David Scales Sr., and Roy Williams. Voters may cast ballots for up to four candidates.

In school director races, few challenges remained on the ballot after the May primary.

There is an open ballot slot for the Blue Ridge Region 3A seat, Jackson Twp. The seat is currently held by Joel Whitehead. He sought the nomination to the Region 3 seat,Great BendandJackson, in the spring but was defeated by Cindy Gaughan.

In the Montrose Area School Director seat for Region 2, Chris Caterson earned one of the two Republican nominations. Douglas Wilcox won a slot on the ballot in both the GOP and Democratic primaries. John Delaney also secured a ballot slot in the Democratic primary. There are two, four-year seats open in the race. Voters can choose two candidates.