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PrintJUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
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Term: 10 years Salary: $130,591
Duties: The Court of Common Pleas is primarily a trial court. Judges preside over matters such as adult and juvenile prosecutions, civil disputes involving property or money, divorce, custody, child support, adoptions, trusts and estates, guardianships, administrative hearings and appeals from decisions of district judges.
Question: Do you have any specific suggestions for improving the administration of justice in your county?
Education: B.A. Grove City College, 1978; J.D. University of Akron School of Law.
Occupation: Butler County district attorney.
Qualifications: Butler County district attorney, 1996-2005; president, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, 2003-04.
Answer: No reply.
CLERK OF COURTS
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Term: 4 years Salary: $53,813
Duties: Keeps all the criminal records of Common Pleas Court. Duties include docketing and recording cases, filing court decisions, issuing criminal bonds, taking bail, collecting court costs and paying witness fees.
Question: What specific suggestions can you offer to make the operations of your office more effective?
Education: Associate's degree, Butler County Community College, 1986; B.S., Slippery Rock University, 1991.
Occupation: Butler County clerk of courts.
Qualifications: Executive secretary, 5 1/2 years, district attorney's office; second deputy, six years, clerk of courts office; clerk of courts, 12th year; secretary, four years, Prospect Area Preservation Society.
Answer: Since taking office in 1994, this has been an ongoing challenge, particularly in our county as one of the fastest-growing counties in Western Pennsylvania. The state boosted the number of county judges from three to six and the number of district judges from five to seven. Computer technology, document imaging and streamlining of office procedures have been the main reasons for keeping our office more effective and to keep new hires to a minimum.
CONTROLLER
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Term: 4 years Salary: $56,316
Duties: General supervision and control of county fiscal matters. Must pass on validity of all claims against the county.
Question: What specific suggestions can you offer to make the operations of your office more effective?
Education: Graduate of Butler High School; B.A., economics, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A., accounting/finance, Youngstown State University; Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).
Occupation: Butler County controller, 1994 to present.
Qualifications: Cost accountant and general accountant for 15 years in the private sector; deputy Butler County controller 1989-1993; Pennsylvania State Association of County Controllers, past president; Pennsylvania Government Finance Officers Association; Government Financial Managers Association; member Zelienople Rotary, Butler Shrine Luncheon Club (past president), Butler Moose, Butler County Historical Society, Historic Harmony (life member).
Answer: An effective county controller should be prepared to regularly challenge the size and role of county government. I continue to advocate for the adoption of performance-based budgeting as an effective means of making government more accountable to the taxpayer.
CORONER
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Term: 4 years Salary: $42,550
Duties: The coroner investigates deaths of suspicious or violent nature. When necessary, he orders autopsies and subpoenas witnesses for inquests. The coroner is required to issue a certificate if death occurs without medical attendance.
Question: What specific suggestions can you offer to make the operations of your office more effective?
Education: 60 credits, Butler Community College; 60 credits, Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
Occupation: Coroner.
Qualifications: Deputy coroner, 20 years; acting coroner, two years; coroner, four years; funeral director, 16 years.
Answer: As coroner of Butler County, I have two very good deputies and one secretary who have made the operations of my office very effective. In years past we did not have a secretary.
SHERIFF
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Term: 4 years Salary: $53,813
Duties: The sheriff, as an officer of the court, serves warrants, summonses and other judicial documents, impanels jurors, executes sheriff's sales and carries out orders of the county court.
Question: What specific suggestions can you offer to make the operations of your office more effective?
Education: B.A. Slippery Rock University, 1971; M.Ed., Slippery Rock University, August 1973.
Occupation: Sheriff.
Qualifications: Sheriff, 24 years; probation officer, six years; certified municipal police instructor; certified lethal weapons instructor; instructor of criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Butler County Community College.
Answer: Continued training; implementation of video conferencing by the courts will enable my staff to concentrate on other duties, which are currently being constrained by time limitations and lack of manpower.
JURY COMMISSIONER
Vote for ONE in your party
Term: 4 years Salary: $12,515
Duties: The jury commissioners (two to be elected, one from each party) annually prepare lists of qualified voters from which are drawn names for jury duty for the ensuing year.
Question: What specific suggestions can you offer to make the operations of your office more effective?
Education: Graduated Karns City High School, 1970; received certification from Butler County Community College in electrical field in 1980.
Occupation: Retired from Indspec chemical after 32 years; worked as tipstaff, Butler County Courthouse.
Qualifications: Four years elected official Karns City Area School Board; leadership award Outstanding Service To Education, Pennsylvania School Boards Association.
Answer: Since I currently work as a tipstaff for the Butler County Courthouse, I have been able to witness the exemplary job that the existing employees perform on a daily basis. I hope to continue their legacy by providing the courts with effective, nonbiased jurors through the selection process. I will also make myself available during a time that is most convenient for the courts.
Clinton A. Bonetti, 34, Butler Township
Education: B.A., Slippery Rock University, 1993.
Occupation: Land use administrator, Penn Township.
Qualifications: Local government employee for seven years.
Answer: None.
Education: M.S. human resources management, La Roche College, 1983; B.S. administration management, La Roche College, 1980; A.A.S. professional pilot, Beaver County Community College, 1978.
Occupation: Retired.
Qualifications: 50-plus years of business experience, training and personnel management with fiscal responsibility and accountability.
Answer: Continue to update and modernize the jury selection system in compliance with Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure (Title 42), Part V, Administration of Justice Generally, Chapter 45, Juries and Jurors, and encourage more citizen participation in governmental affairs.
Dorothy R. Bupp, 76, Lancaster Township
Education: High school graduate; some Penn State tax classes.
Occupation: Republican jury commissioner, Butler County.
Qualifications: Bull Shippers Award, Rotary/Butler County Penn State Extension, promotion of understanding between rural and urban communities; jury commissioner 16 years at end of this term; secretary, Rosenbaum Department Store, 1947; Hyman Blum Structural Steel, 1954; auditor, Lancaster Township.
Answer: A new state-of-the-art computer jury management system was implemented in 2005. My experience going through all the phases of the jury selection system since 1990 helped shape this system to meet the needs of the Butler County jury selection and a hands-on attitude insures the integrity of that system. The system should continue improving to give responsible jury commissioners the tools needed to meet their official duties mandated by the state.
Jason Campagna, 27, Penn Township
Education: No reply.
Occupation: Township supervisor, Penn Township.
Qualifications: Township supervisor, five years; have served one year on the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors standing committee for townships with population of 4,000 to 10,000; elected Butler County committee rep for Penn East for three years.
Answer: The current jury system is broken. With my knowledge of computers and database management, I can fix the system and purge the bugs from it. It's also time that we take a serious look at getting rid of the jury commissioner office as many counties have done so to be more efficient. Computer systems can do the job and we need to embrace this technology and get out of the status quo dark ages for the sake of the taxpayers.
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