LEAD UP TO 2025 MUNICIPAL PRIMARY ELECTION

The official petitioning period is over. We thank all our Democratic candidates who filed and whose names will be on our Primary ballot for the May 20 election. Democrats still have vacant seats in county-wide elected positions and every municipality. Do we want to hand Republicans these offices on a silver platter without doing a bit of work? It is not too late to get on the ballot in the November General Election.  We urge you to check out the open seats and then look below to see what those positions involve. If you are willing to run a write-in campaign, you can get on the November ballot. Open municipal seats only require 10 Dem voters to write you in on the Primary ballot. Open county-wide seats require 250 Dem voters to write you in. CONTACT US ASAP IF YOU MIGHT CONSIDER! https://cumberlandcountydems.com/contact-us/

 

COUNTY-WIDE OFFICES aka ROW OFFICES

The title of row office came about in the early years of the constitution when the departments were first listed in a row on the elections ballot.

Qualifications

  • must be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen
  • must be a resident of the county for one year prior to the election
  • cannot be a member of the legislative body of any municipality, a school director, a member of the board of health, a member of Congress or a federal employee.

Salary & Benefits

  • The salary for Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, and Sheriff is currently $82,543.50.
  • The salary for Controller is currently $88,608.88
  • The salary for Register of Wills/Clerk of the Orphans Court is $88,744.50
  • Cumberland County offers a full benefits package including:
    • Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance
    • Retirement Benefits
    • Paid Time Off
    • Educational Assistance
    • Short & Long Term Disability
    • Life Insurance

CLERK OF CRIMINAL COURT

  • Manages all paperwork for all criminal cases in the Court of Common Pleas
  • Assesses fines, costs, and restitution
  • Collects the fees in conjunction with the County Adult Probation and Parole Department.

CONTROLLER

  • Chief accountant and auditor of the county
  • Supervises the fiscal affairs of the county.

CORONER

  • Responsible for the investigation and completion of the death certificate for the following types of death:
    • sudden deaths not caused by readily recognizable disease
    • deaths occurring under suspicious circumstances or as a result of violence or trauma.

PROTHONOTARY

  • Elected civil clerk of the County Court of Common Pleas
  • Responsible for recording all civil procedures before the court
  • Signs and seals all writs and processes numerous other court documents.

RECORDER OF DEEDS

  • Custodian of the records and indexes relating to conveyance of land or the transfer of real property in the county
    • includes deeds, mortgages, subdivision plans, rights-of-way and easements
  • Records the commission and oaths of county officials, district justices and notaries
  • Retains these documents for safekeeping, creating an accurate official record of real property ownership.

REGISTER OF WILLS

  • Processes all resident decedents’ estate & inheritance tax receipting/documentation for individuals who are domiciled in Cumberland County at the time of their death
  • Primary function of the Register is to determine whether the document offered for probate should be admitted to the official record
  • Authority to appoint personal representatives for estate administration
  • Conducts evidentiary hearings, take testimony and render decisions on disputable estate matters prior to opening the official record.

SHERIFF

  • Acts as a conservator of the peace and the executive officer of the county and district courts
  • Serves writs and processes of the court
  • Seizes property after judgment
  • Enforces traffic laws on county roads
  • Supervises the county jail and prisoners.

MUNICIPAL OFFICES

AUDITOR

  • Audit, settle and adjust the accounts of all elected or appointed officials of the township that received or disbursed funds of or owing to the borough or township during the immediately preceding calendar year
  • Determine the compensations for the current year for supervisors employed by the borough or township.

BOROUGH COUNCIL

A borough council is the governing body of the borough. A borough has three, five, or seven councilpersons. Council duties include:

  • Hiring employees
  • Adopting a budget
  • Approving expenses
  • Adopting ordinances or local laws

Councilpersons are elected for four-year overlapping terms and may receive a small compensation based on population.

CONSTABLE

Constables serve two main functions:

  • Preserve the peace specifically at voting polls during primary and general elections
  • Perform judicial duties to serve writs, warrants, complaints, subpoenas, service of summons, orders of eviction and judgment, and provide security at Magisterial District Court facilities.

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUSTICE

Magisterial District 09-1-01 Lower Allen Township, New Cumberland & Shiremanstown Borough

Magisterial District 09-3-04 Hampden and Silver Spring Township

Magisterial District Justices are part of the minor courts on the first level of PA’s judiciary. MDJs do not have to be lawyers, but they are required to pass a qualifying exam after completing a rigorous training and education program administered by the Minor Judiciary Education Board. MDJs are responsible for:

  • Deciding if serious criminal cases go to the Court of Common Pleas
  • Preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings
  • Setting and accepting bail (except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases)
  • Emergency protection-from-abuse-orders
  • Small claims cases, for claims under $12,000
  • Landlord–tenant matters
  • Municipal code violations
  • Motor vehicle violations.

Magisterial District Judges serve 6-year terms and can serve an unlimited number of terms until the mandatory retirement age of 75. Yearly salary $91,597.

MAYOR

Common responsibilities for a mayor include:

  • Attending town council meetings and proposing initiatives
  • Casting votes, potentially in a tie-breaking capacity
  • Speaking with constituents at meetings, their office or in public, answering questions and listening to concerns
  • Overseeing public service departments and ensuring they are operating effectively
  • Completing administrative tasks related to the daily operations of the local government
  • Approving press releases, speaking with journalists, leading press conferences and completing other media availability tasks
  • Representing the town at meetings with officials of other government entities
  • Examining the proposed budget and approving any final spending order
  • Attending public events in an official capacity.

Mayors may receive compensation. The salary range for a Mayor is from $43,993 to $64,155 per year in Pennsylvania.

SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR

A school board is a legislative body of citizens called school directors, who are elected locally by their fellow citizens and who serve as the governing body of each public school district. School Board Directors are responsible for:

  • Establishing a vision and goals for the district
  • Hire, collaborate, and annually evaluate the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent
  • Set and evaluate policies for management of the district
  • Adopt a district budget
  • Monitor and evaluate student opportunities and achievements
  • Approve curriculum.

Each board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office. Unlike most other elected officials, school directors receive no compensation for their work.

TAX COLLECTOR

The duties of a municipal tax collector include:

  • Collect and deposit all funds received by the municipality
  • Collect, receipt, and account for sewage, trash, real estate taxes, and school taxes.

Tax Collector serves a 4-yr. term.  The average Tax Collector salary in Pennsylvania is $46,698.

TOWNSHIP COMMISSIONER/SUPERVISOR

The commissioners/supervisors of the township mandated responsibilities include: 

  • Adoption of an annual budget
  • Levying of taxes
  • Hiring of employees
  • Maintenance of streets and roads and drainage facilities
  • Facilitation of other services provided by the township including parks and rec, police and fire protection, local planning, zoning and code enforcement and garbage and recycling collection.

Commissioners/Supervisors appoint a township manager to coordinate township employees and operations, a zoning officer and other staff. 

Township Commissioners/Supervisors are elected for 4-year over-lapping terms and receive a small compensation based on population.

JUDGE OF ELECTIONS AND INSPECTOR OF ELECTIONS

Cumberland County has 118 voting precincts. Every voting precinct has ONE Judge of Elections and TWO Inspectors of Elections. Each serve a 4 year term.

Duties of the Judge of Elections include:

  • Responsible for all Election Day activities and personnel inside the polls
  • Opens and closes the polls (6:00 am until results have been tallied)
  • Swearing in of Election Officers at the beginning of the day
  • Picking up supplies from the County Office
  • Attending training class(es) at County Office
  • Making a determination when questions arise
  • Returning election results to the County Office after the close of the polls
  • Paid $140 on Election day.

Duties of the Inspectors of Election include:

  • Verifying and signing in voters and recording the names of voters
  • Presenting ballots to voter
  • Answering voters questions
  • Attending training class(es) at County Office 
  • Paid $130 on Election day.