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Four candidates for Lycoming County commissioner, seeking the nomination of the Republican party, fielded a dozen questions during a recent debate sponsored by Lycoming Patriots ahead of the May 16 primary election.
Candidates Adam C. Welteroth, incumbent commissioner Scott L. Metzger, Evan R. Painton and Loyalsock Township supervisor Marc Sortman were asked the obvious questions right away, such as what made them feel qualified and what they would do differently if elected. Questions about the airport, natural gas, gun control, immigration and faith also were on the table.
The event packed the room at the Savoy Plaza building in Montoursville, and it was moderated by Sam Faddis, author of the book "The CIA War in Kurdistan: The Untold Story of the Northern Front in the Iraq War."
At times, due to the complexity of a few of the questions that were prefaced with a paragraph or more of background, Faddis, who frequently interjected a bit of humor, volunteered to repeat questions as needed.
After each of the candidates gave brief opening remarks, the substance of the debate -- the dozen questions -- kept the audience tuned in -- before the end with a few rebuttals, clarifications and closing remarks.
To the question of qualifications, Painton described his successful business plan at White Deer Golf Course and his leading the budgeting there, which has yielded a profit after several years of the course potentially not profiting and possibly closing.
"One thing I would change is transparency with the people of Lycoming County," he said, criticizing the commissioners' office openness. "It is a very closed door, not welcoming office. The people who vote are the people who put us in office and have every right to know what we're doing with the tax dollars and what we have planned going forward," he said.
Sortman said he began at the ground level at Loyalsock Township.
"It has given me a ton of experience to learn the way the government operates," he said. "I have 40 years of business experience that I fold together with that experience ... to make it a greater place to live than when I started there."
As for what would be done differently, if elected, Sortman said he would ensure the skilled labor force in the county was not "micro-managed so they have the ability to do their job to interact with the commissioners on a regular basis."
Welteroth described himself as a fighter.
"I'm going to fight from day one because there's no quitting in me," he said. "I'm not going to make excuses. All that energy is going to be put into getting it done," he said, adding that he would be held accountable.
Metzger cited his years of experience as commissioner, chairing and helping to lead the county through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring real estate taxes were not increased, continuing to seek funding for and completion of the costly levee mandate, searching for a proper coroner's building, expanding the Timber Run Industrial Park along Route 15 and addressing the labor shortage with increasing compensation for county employees.
Another question focused squarely on the national issue of ending Title 42, which was put into place by former President Donald Trump to keep undocumented immigrants from entering the country and which will expire Thursday when the emergency declaration ends.
"Illegals," Faddis said, are being flown into Harrisburg, Allentown and Scranton and are being dispersed throughout the state. "What steps would you take as commissioner to keep these people, who are illegally entering our country, out of our county?" he asked.
"We have a great resource in our county sheriff's office," Painton said, "and have good communication with Harrisburg."
Sortman said he would rely on future District Attorney Tom Marino, who is running unopposed.
"We will process those people to keep them out of our area," he said.
Additionally, Sortman said he would keep in touch with U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Howard, to ensure that "illegals" do not inundate the region.
"You need to be the watchdogs," Welteroth said. "That being said, though, we also need to encourage legal immigration in our community."
Metzger said after receiving a phone call, he and state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, along with Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter traveled to the federal prison, spoke to immigration officials and addressed rumors about undocumented immigrants occupying the Jersey Shore area.
Metzger clarified that he also met with members of local business and law enforcement there and it was determined that those individuals who were here had their "working papers" and were employed in a factory in a neighboring county. Whenever it is determined there are illegal immigrants, Metzger said he would continue to investigate and to reach out to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The third question was related to gun control. Faddis described a "second amendment sanctuary," or a state, county or locality that has resolved to prohibit or impede the enforcement of certain gun control measures perceived to violate the Second Amendment, such as high-capacity magazine bans, assault weapons bans or Red Flag laws.
"What is your position on making Lycoming County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County?" he asked.
"I would definitely be against anything that would prohibit gun ownership," Sortman said, adding that he spoke several times with District Attorney Ryan Gardner on that exact topic. He said he would, as a commissioner, vote to support the district attorney's position.
"Every time that we see a shooting… a lot of times they are stopped. How are they stopped?" Welteroth asked. "They are stopped by legal gun owners."
"I believe very strongly in the Second Amendment," Metzger said. "I feel there is overreach. Any time there is a shooting, the left runs to blame the guns instead of blaming the individual."
Painton noted how the Second Amendment shall not be infringed.
"I agree with that," he said.
He added that having citizens around him who are armed, especially in his township where police response time is not the greatest, should stay that way.