Somerset County Commissioners discuss their most significant achievements
SOMERSET — What is the most significant achievement during their tenure according to each of the current commissioners as the political clock ticks down and the board leaves at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 2 as the newly elected board takes their seats?
The new elected officials will be sworn in at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Courtroom No. 1 in the Somerset County Courthouse.
The following is what the outgoing board of commissioners has chosen as the most significant for them over the past four years.
Commissioner Gerald Walker
Walker has been a county commissioner for eight years.
"No doubt is our movement on U.S. 219. We have a completion date set in 2031.
"When we first started, 219 was not moving at all and now we have a completion date (and the funds to make it so)."
Upcoming: Exclusive: PennDOT programs more millions for U.S. 219 construction
Commissioner Colleen Dawson
Dawson has been a commissioner for four years.
"How we handled the pandemic."
Past: County mask projects remain helpful
The county received just over $6 million in federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that allocated $6.15 billion to Pennsylvania counties, metropolitan cities and local government units to support COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost revenue, support economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address systemic public health and economic challenges.
Accomplished: Commissioners explore how to use $6.6M in CARES Act money
In the time allotted to spend the funds, "We did not leave one dollar on the table. We dedicated ourselves to generational projects. We helped nonprofits," she said.
Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes
Tokar-Ickes has been a county commissioner for 24 years, although not all consecutive terms.
"The theme of this particular board, is we have persevered."
The pandemic struck three months after the current board of county commissioners began their four-year tenure.
It was an international health crisis that changed the face of government and public scrutiny of governmental officials, often via social media.
"We came under a level of public scrutiny" not seen before.
"The use of social media had an impact on how we conduct business," she said.
Why: Commissioners: Somerset County Sick Bank misunderstood
Tokar-Ickes said in her former profession as a journalist she was always taught to understand the information before sharing it. However, with social media and how information is presented can often be a misrepresentation of that information. For many people, distinquishing the difference between falsehood and truth is difficult and confusing.
"We spent a lot of time unwinding the misinformation."
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County Commissioners discuss their most significant efforts
