WTF County Commissioners?!
October 2 County Commissioners public meeting is CANCELED (no county funding)
What do the county commissioners do?
They mostly look bored during meetings. Unless they’re doing a photo op. They do a lot of photo ops. But officially:
“It is the mission of the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners to represent the residents of Westmoreland County with prudence and fairness. To govern reasonably, ensuring that the county delivers quality services while maintaining a cost-efficient budget.”
What do we WANT for them to do?
To listen to us as their constituents, and to have better transparency and accessibility at their meetings.
It takes a great deal of bravery for concerned citizens to stand in front of career politicians and express their concerns. The commissioners should be brave enough, and respect us enough, to stand in front of their constituents and make their work available. The voices of the brave citizens willing to make public comments should be heard by everyone in the county. The obvious solution is streaming these meetings and archiving them online.
If they won’t live stream, then we will! Check out our YouTube channel for previously-streamed public comments — or watch us live on Facebook.
I hate to even acknowledge it but our public comments have been called “political theater” by at least one of the commissioners. It is absurdly out of touch to think that anyone would seek out their 3 minutes of fame during a Westmoreland County Commissioners' meeting. This isn't Los Angeles. You can get more online attention by live streaming at a Pittsburgh Pirates' game.
Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners
2 N. Main St. Suite 101
Greensburg, PA 15601
Ph: (724) 830-3106
Fx: (724) 830-3029
Public Meetings
Sean Kertes, Chair
Ph: (724) 830-3143
Email
Douglas W. Chew, Vice Chair
Ph: (724) 830-3103
Email
Ted Kopas, Secretary
Ph: (724) 830-3121
Email
See the Public Meetings Calendar
If you can’t come, submit public comments for the record!
Current Advocacy Items
Ballot Curing & Drop Boxes
What is ballot curing?
About half of states have a process in place to help voters fix their mail ballots if they do make a mistake. (NPR has a great article explaining.)
Why ballot drop boxes?
Ballots must be received by the county election office before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters may return their completed mail-in or absentee ballot to their county election office during that office's business hours. Some counties may have drop boxes. They are a safe and secure way for Pennsylvania voters to return their completed mail-in or absentee ballots. Voters may return their mail-in or absentee ballot at their county's designated drop box(es) or drop-off location. (PA.gov)
Under Pennsylvania law, voters must return their own ballots. The only exceptions to this are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing to deliver their ballot.
If you would like to sign a petition to advocate for either, sign online or download this form and mail to us by the end of September.