Dozens apply for Greene opening
Greene County’s president judge on Wednesday said the court would appoint someone to complete the unexpired term of recently resigned county commissioner Dave Coder from a pool of more than two dozen applicants in less than 30 days. President Judge William R. Nalitz said 25 or 26 registered Democratic county residents submitted letters of interest for the position by Monday’s deadline.
Coder, a Democrat, was in the middle of his fourth consecutive term as a commissioner when he resigned and accepted a job as deputy director for U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown. His last day in office was July 6.
The law requires the court to appoint someone of Coder’s party to replace him until his term expires on the first Monday in January 2012.
Nalitz said he thought about whether to publicly release the applicants’ names, but decided that it would be improper because disclosure could jeopardize some of the applicant’s current jobs, even though most of them probably wouldn’t mind of he did.
“Some of those people have jobs and it’s likely they would have to quit those jobs if I were to appoint them,” Nalitz said+. “Most wouldn’t mind.”
He acknowledged that candidates in an election for a public office such as county commissioner would disclose great deals of information about themselves, but this appointment is different because he does not believe the people who applied believed their names would be disclosed.
Pointing out that the law calls for the court to make the appointment, Nalitz said he and Judge Farley Toothman would review the applicants’ letters and both will have a say in the appointment.
Nalitz also said he hasn’t determined whether he would issue a court order naming the appointment or announced it in some way.