(7/2019) Randy Phiel and I would like to thank all of the voters who recognized the importance of this year’s Primary and Special elections. We especially want to thank those Republican voters who propelled us to victory.

When you examine the statistics of the 2015 Primary election you get a better perspective of the 2019 County Commissioners Primary. In 2015 there were three Republican challengers to the incumbents Phiel and Martin. The combined percentage of votes received by the challengers, Smith (11.9 %), Bolton (10.9%), and Hollinger (9.0%), totaled 31.8%. This year’s primary saw the challenger’s percentage of votes received to be 25.56 %, representing a 6.2% decrease in the percentage of challenger votes opposing Phiel and Martin.

In the 2015 Primary, Phiel and Martin received 35.3% and 31.4% of the vote respectively. The 2019 Primary results reported Phiel with 38.88% of the vote cast and Martin with 34.7%. The bottom line is that support for Phiel and Martin increased by more than three percent over 2015.

Thank you, voters, for your growing support that provided us with a solid victory. I commend our supporters for recognizing the value and the importance of the work we have accomplished, and for separating facts from false rhetoric. Also, I would like to thank the many workers who were a part of our campaign team. Without your dedication and hard work our success would not have been possible.

State- wide Pennsylvania County Commissioner races produced results that were a surprise to many. The surprise was that 30% of incumbent commissioners did not make it through the primary election. Some of those loosing incumbents had more than three terms in office. One incumbent that I know well won in the closest race he ever had. He also said it was the dirtiest smear campaign he ever faced. He is a man of integrity and his reputation was probably his margin of victory. We agreed that opponents without integrity will use whatever smear tactics they believe will produce a victory. It truly is a blessing when integrity speaks louder than an opponent’s fabrications and smear tactics.

Perhaps there is a lesson in what we have observed. Does incumbency become a vehicle of producing complacency? Commissioner Phiel and I have not rested in our incumbency, but we have used it for building continuity and efficiency of operations. Also our incumbency has allowed us to sharpen our awareness and utilize our experience to better address the issues facing the county. Financing is always an issue. Knowing what our limitation are financially, we utilize our credit very wisely and prudently, not borrowing more often than is essential.

The status of Adams County’s credit position is rated very well by Moody’s Investors Service. Our rating matches the median ratings of all Aa2 U.S. counties. Our key credit factors are noted to be a robust financial position, an exceptional low pension liability and a small debt burden.

Never the less, we must operate within a frame work of unpredictable revenue fluctuations. We are also faced with mandated costs and unpredicted expenditures fluctuations. The most frustrating mandated cost is the recently required purchase of all new county voting equipment. The cost of this mandated purchase relative to our 2019 budget will be an increase of $480,000.

Pennsylvania is one of very few states that is mandated to be ready for the 2020 election with all new certified voting equipment. It is my expectation that the majority of states will have until 2022 to put certified equipment into use. Why is Pennsylvania one of the segregated states for an early deployment of equipment? The "why" becomes even more relevant when Governor Wolf announced there were no errors found in the 2018 election. Adams County even showed in 2018 how precise our voting equipment works.

This earlier than anticipated mandated purchase came to fruition due to Governor Wolf’s out-of-court settlement with the Jill Stein Campaign. Governor Wolf settled the legal suit without adequate defense for PA Counties. The Governor easily complied with the Stein Campaign and met their demands of new certified voting equipment for 2020. At this point it is unknown if PA Counties are going to receive more than 25% reimbursement for the equipment. The 2020 mandate created undue financial burdens that were not fully anticipated nor were counties afforded an adequate time frame to prudently prepare for the purchases.

Legally we must be prepared to have the new certified voting equipment in place for the 2020 elections. To prevent the least amount of operational problems, our county plan is to introduce the equipment for the November, 2019 General Election. During this election we plan to detect and correct any issues that arise from the new equipment prior to 2020, when we expect large numbers of voters.

In regard to the mandated voting equipment purchase, we are in a position as a county to absorb the cost. But, moving forward this action will definitely weaken our financial strength. To counter this unpredicted expense we are moving forward with something new to at least reduce the margin between revenues and expenses. The new initiative will be to begin almost immediately a vehicle leasing program over approximately five years. The projected saving of the least program is estimated to be a minimum of $50,000.

We are cautiously optimistic about a promising source of significant revenue. Previously we mentioned the potential, but not guaranteed. We have been given positive remarks from the US Marshall Service after their review of our latest proposal for needed funding to house their inmates. Due to the US Government shut down this process was delayed. If approved this reimbursement award would provide a significant boost in revenues that would aid in countering future tax increase.

As you have read the Adams County Commissioners’ time in office produces awareness and experience to move the county forward with new means of strengthening the county’s position. I must say it is rewarding to know that our positive vision has advanced the well-being of Adams County.

Thank you for your continued support, it is fuel for our service. Jim Martin, Adams County Commissioner