Age: 33; North Union.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1984 from North Olmstead High School, North Olmstead, Ohio. Graduated in 1990 from Bowling Green State University.

OCCUPATION: Curator at Prickett’s Fort Museum near Fairmont, W.Va. Also has taught history classes at Penn State-Fayette and Westmoreland County Community College.

QUALIFICATIONS: Has been active in efforts to prevent the closing of the Brownsville Senior Citizens Center and to adopt a code of conduct for county employees.

ANSWER TO QUESTION:  My priorities are to bring water lines, sewer systems and industrial parks to the county, to invest in Penn State-Fayette to make a proper education available to more of our citizens and to see to it that people have a proper property tax system. I would fund those priorities by tapping revenue streams that we don’t tap now. We have billboards, communications towers, underground natural gas storage tanks and other items that could be generating taxes but are not.

Age: 45 ; Connellsville.

EDUCATION: Connellsville Area High School. Attended Penn State at its main and Fayette campuses. .

OCCUPATION: Self-employed financial consultant, tax preparer and Realtor. Former president of now-defunct Wambard Construction in Connellsville.

QUALIFICATIONS: Background in construction and experience with real estate, benefits and finance.

Age: 62; South Union.

EDUCATION: Uniontown High School. Attended Penn State-Fayette Campus for two years. Also attended organizational management institute at Delaware University.

OCCUPATION: Business development coordinator for Fay-Penn Economic Council; resigned to run for commissioner. Now a consultant for the Agostini Group of commercial and residential construction companies.

QUALIFICATIONS: A long history of community volunteerism as well as business and development experience.

ANSWER TO QUESTION: We need to upgrade and integrate our computer system, to address our assessment system and to turn the Connellsville airport into a hub of regional and cargo traffic. This is a county with zero debt service, a county that does not invest in itself. We’re going to have to float bond issues and start moving forward.

Age: 39; South Union.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Laurel Highlands High School. Graduated from West Virginia University. Master’s degree in industrial relations and personnel administration from St. Francis College, Loretto.

OCCUPATION: Fayette County commissioner since 1996 and current chairman of board of commissioners.

QUALIFICATIONS: Sixteen years of experience with state and county government.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1983 from Laurel Highlands High School. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania.

OCCUPATION: Member of Fayette County Board of Commissioners since 1996. Co-owner of a Pizza Outlet franchise in Morgantown, W.Va. Licensed realtor since 1986.

QUALIFICATIONS: Experience running businesses and working with the business community.

ANSWER TO QUESTION: For our county to grow, we have to right its wrongs. You can’t build a house on a weak foundation and you can’t attract new people and businesses to a corrupt county. My running mate and I would stimulate our economy by offering a two-year tax abatement to anyone who builds a new home or home addition. New housing starts would create construction jobs and bring people who would shop here.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1975 from Connellsville Area High School. Attended Asbury Bible College in Wilmore, Ky., and Penn State-Fayette campus.

OCCUPATION: Operates an agency at which he sells insurance and mutual funds and provides investment advice. Served in U.S. Navy from 1981 to 1985.

QUALIFICATIONS: Active with youth and church organizations, knowledgeable about running a business and about advising other businesses about insurance, investments and retirement accounts.

Age: 75; Lemont Furnace.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1942 from the former North Union Township High School. Attended technical school training classes in refrigeration.

OCCUPATION: Retired insurance salesman and coal miner. Also worked as appliance repairman for Montgomery Ward, foundry worker and U.S. Postal Service employee. Served as a staff sergeant in U.S. Air Force during World War II.

QUALIFICATIONS: Honesty and integrity, extensive work experience.

Age 34; Wharton.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1982 from Laurel Highlands High School. Attended West Virginia University.

OCCUPATION: Planning/zoning technician with Fayette County Community and Economic Development office, and zoning officer for Stewart Township for two years.

QUALIFICATIONS: Oversees planning and zoning for approximately 32 municipalities. Spent eight years on the Uniontown Area School Board and was chairman of the school district’s finance and personnel and building and grounds committees. Also a member of the Fayette County Area Vo-Tech Board, the Intermediate Unit Board and the Write to Read Committee. Great-grandfather, John Rankin, was a former commissioner.

ANSWER TO QUESTION: As a planning officer, I know we have to work on sewer and water projects for our county. But we’re going to have to equalize our tax base in Fayette County and do something about current tax assessments. That issue will take more study. To fund anything new for the county, we will have to start by utilizing grants.

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1987 from Brownsville Area High School. Graduated in 1989 from Pa. Municipal Police Academy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

OCCUPATION: Free-lance legal and government researcher. Previously was patrolman and chief of police in Everson and patrol officer in Dawson.

QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledgeable about law enforcement and government. Attended municipal and city meetings and every commission meeting for more than three years.

ANSWER TO QUESTION: Cleaning up elections in Fayette County is my main priority. If I am fortunate enough to serve, I would act as an inspector of elections to check that elections are not being operated fraudulently. I would save money by eliminating the county zoning operation and court constables.

Term: 4 years; vote for 1

Age: 31; South Union.

EDUCATION: Eastern Wayne High School, Goldsboro, N.C. B.S., Penn State, 1990.

OCCUPATION: Systems analyst at UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh. Previously was assistant director in state Department of Revenue’s bureau of compliance.

QUALIFICATIONS: At UPMC, is primarily responsible for creating financial reports. While at Bankers Security, submitted a recommendation that won the company award for best job-productivity and cost-savings idea. Campaign manager for state Rep. Larry Roberts, D-South Union.

ANSWER TO QUESTION: Voters should have as much of a say as possible in determining how their money is being spent. The person in this position should be answerable to the public.

AGE: 59; Menallen

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1960 from Uniontown High School. Attended Westmoreland Central Labor Council classes.

OCCUPATION: Retired since 1992. Worked for 28 years as a welder and fitter at Fruehauf Trailer Corp. in Uniontown.

QUALIFICATIONS: Past president, auditor and trustee of USWA Local 15101. Experienced with lobbying, accounting and dealing with businessmen and labor groups.

AGE: 42; Everson

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1975 from Mount Pleasant Area High School. Attended Westmoreland County Community College.

OCCUPATION: Former public relations and marketing director for a chiropractic clinic. Previously was a cemetery market representative, market researcher, security officer and taxicab dispatcher. Former Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts, and was legislative aide to state Rep. Eugene Saloom.

QUALIFICATIONS: Previous row office experience.

AGE: 52; Vanderbilt

EDUCATION: Graduated in 1966 from Connellsville High School. Attended Dickerson Law School course for deputy sheriffs.

OCCUPATION: Fayette County Prothonotary since 1990. Worked in county sheriff’s department, was chief deputy for 19 years.

QUALIFICATIONS: Has handled and served civil papers. Office has been computerized and is modernizing and updating records.

Education: 1957 graduate of Frazier High School. Attended classes at Penn State-Fayette campus, Community College of Allegheny County and George Meany Institute of Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Md.

Occupation: Fayette County Register of Wills since 1996. Previously president of District 5, United Mine Workers of America.

Qualifications: Has worked closely with the county offices to prevent duplication of services.

Answer To Question: When someone is elected, there’s accountaibility to the taxpayers. Every four years, the voters have a right to determine the job you’re doing. A lot of people visit our office for services we offer. If I don’t provide services well, in four years’ time I’m not sure I’ll be re-elected.