Berks County seeking applicants for commissioner seat
Dec. 20—Applications are being accepted for a one-year stint on the Berks County Board of Commissioners.
The position is open due to the announcement that Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt will resign on Jan. 9. The longtime commissioner is leaving the post to take over as the county's new chief operations officer.
A replacement to serve out the remainder of Barnhardt's term will be appointed by the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. That term expires at the end of 2023.
Interested applicants must be registered voters in Berks and members of the Democratic Party, according to a press release issued Monday by the court. They must submit a resume of their full educational background and work experience along with a statement of their goals and objectives as county commissioner if selected for appointment.
A panel of judges will review the applications and conduct interviews with individual candidates. The board will then meet and vote to select an appointee.
The deadline for filing an application is 3 p.m. on Jan. 20. No telephone calls or emails will be accepted.
One original and 13 copies of resumes and statements must be sent to District Court Administrator Julia Bagnoni at the Berks County Courthouse 7th floor, 633 Court St., Reading, PA 19601.
During a press conference last week, the county commissioners selected Barnhardt to be chief operations officer. His hiring was made in preparation of the impending retirement of longtime county employee Ronald Seaman, who informed the commissioners this spring that he plans to leave his post in early 2023.
Barnhardt has served as a commissioner since 2008, the lone Democrat on the three-member board during that span. He was set to run for reelection next year but instead will accept the appointed post of chief operations officer.
