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Mancuso, Redman seeking election as Register of Wills

By Miles Layton jmlayton@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read

Two Democratic candidates seek their party’s nod as Fayette County register of wills.

Soni Shaner Mancuso and Jeffrey L. Redman are on the ballot for the May 19 Democratic primary. The winner of this race will most likely face Ron Romeo of Uniontown, who is running unopposed as the Republican candidate for register of wills. 

The register of wills serves a four-year term and is paid about $52,000 annually.

Mancuso says she’s running to improve efficiency and accessibility.

“If elected, I am capable of operating and maintaining an efficient and effective office based on my high standard of integrity,” she said. “I will focus on accountability, accessibility and communication to best serve the citizens of Fayette County. I will utilize technology to better serve you and provide compassionate and professional service in your time of need.”

Redman, a Jefferson Township supervisor, hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps by being elected Fayette County register of wills and as the clerk of orphans court.

“I want to help Fayette County move forward by working with county commissioners and the hard-working employees in the register of wills office,” he said. “There is an excellent staff in place in that office. I intend on working with them and using their ideas to move this office forward. Aside from that, I have a knowledge of people from my years of service as a township supervisor. I’ll bring my sense of compassion to the job, and I will do my best to work with everyone. I like to help people solve problems.”

Mancuso ran for magisterial district court judge in the May primary 2013 in a district that includes Belle Vernon, Dawson, Dunbar, Everson, Fayette City, Newell, Perryopolis and Vanderbilt boroughs and Dunbar, Franklin, Jefferson, Lower Tyrone, Perry, Upper Tyrone and Washington townships. She was defeated by Magisterial District Court Judge Richard Kasunic II.

Mancuso is a facilitator of court-mandated drug and alcohol classes for drunken driving offenders in Fayette County. She also has been a mental health provider for more than 14 years. Mancuso is a 1992 graduate of Connellsville Area High School and Ohio State University where she earned a degree in psychology.

Mancuso points to her active service on many civic boards, including the Fayette County Agricultural Preservation Board and Fayette County 4-H advisory committee. She is a member of the Fayette County Agricultural Improvement Association and the Youghiogheny Trail. Mancuso serves as a member of the Fayette County Democratic state committee.

“The register of wills position is another way I can serve Fayette County,” she said.

Redman said he wants to continue efforts to computerize and offer online and digital services to those groups and individuals that need to research and review estates, as well as other register of wills and orphan’s court filings.

“The county must begin to move forward with electronic filing, and in order to do that, it must update and modernize its computer system following the parallel of the systems currently implemented in the federal court system,” he said.

His father, Donald, has served the past 20 years as register of wills.

A lifelong Democrat, Redman was born and raised in Fayette County. He is a 1982 graduate of Frazier High School and a 1984 graduate of Rosedale Technical Institute. He, his wife, Kimberly, and daughter, Hillary, all reside in Grindstone.

Redman has served as Jefferson Township supervisor since 1996. He has also served on the Southwest Regional Tax Bureau since 2000 and is a current member of its executive board. He serves on the Colonial Joint Sewage Authority, the Jefferson Township Parks and Recreation Board, the Fayette County Tax Collection Commission, and is president of the Jefferson Township Youth Organization.

Redman said he sees the clerk of the orphan’s court as an opportunity to provide greater public service.

“If my candidacy is successful, I look forward to working with the other county register of wills officers, those agencies that utilize the service of the office and most importantly, serving the people of Fayette County,” he said.

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