Patty participated in a Candidate’s Forum hosted by the Indiana Armstrong Patriots at the Smith Complex near Elderton. You can listen to an audio or view the video recording of Patty at the forum answering questions. Patty always finds meeting the public and helping them to better understand the issues faced by Commissioners an important part of serving.
I am proud to acknowledge savings to the taxpayers through working with the county’s liability insurance broker ESS Insurance for the 2011 renewal agreement with Travelers. Through efforts of ESS Insurance the county is saving $29,000.00 for this year’s renewal and over the past six years has saved approximately $774,000.00 in premiums while not compromising coverage.
I had an enjoyable visit at Shannock Valley Head Start on Thursday, April, 14, 2011, to read Clifford Goes On Vacation by Norman Bridwell. As always the students were attentive and excited to see the big red Clifford that has resided at the Kirkpatrick household for 20 years.
On Friday, April 15, 2011, I had the opportunity to welcome high school students to Transition Day at the Career Link. I am honored to be invited to convey to the students a perspective of jobs in the county and encourage them to prepare for future employment.
Patty is Chairman of the Armstrong County Retirement Board. Other members include her Commissioner colleagues, Controller and Treasurer. The Board meets monthly and has oversight and decision making responsibilities of the retirement plan. The pension is a critical component of county government. The County has a fully funded pension with assets worth over $48 million. The Retirement Board has consistently met its pension obligations on an annual basis.
Commissioner Patty Kirkpatrick joined fellow Commissioners, Chief Clerks and County Solicitors from across the Commonwealth for the County Commissioner Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Conference held in Harrisburg this week. The highlight of the Conference was remarks by The Honorable Tom Corbett, Governor. Governor Corbett shared charts explaining state tax revenues and expenses. His message included that Pennsylvania does not have a revenue problem but rather it has a spending problem. He emphasized that the Commonwealth must focus on core functions of government.
Commissioner Kirkpatrick, who locally organized support from elected officials for then Governor-Elect Corbett in the General 2010 election, compared the Governor’s charts to the charts the county has been using for the past two years. Patty said, “Visually it is easy for tax payers to see in graph form how tax payer dollars are received and how they are spent. We use similar pie charts to communicate to our county residents and post the charts on the county website.”
As a member of CCAP’s Community and Economic Development Committee, Commissioner Kirkpatrick was involved in lively discussion regarding topics focused on mandate relief, transportation infrastructure, Marcellus shale gas, public private partnerships, CDBG funding, tourism, geographic information systems, and workforce development.
At the closing session a panel of state legislators representing each of the caucuses of the General Assembly was involved in a question and answer session regarding issues faced by county governments. CCAP’s priorities for 2011, including mandate relief, transportation, human services, Marcellus shale gas, and tax fairness were all placed before the panel for comments. A major focus for the panel was the 2011-12 state budget. Commissioner Kirkpatrick found the dialogue very intriguing as the budget process begins between the executive and legislative branches.
As a graduate of CCAP’s Advanced Academy for Excellence in County Government, Commissioner Kirkpatrick views the Association’s efforts to educate Commissioners invaluable during this difficult economy. She said, “The spring Conference happens at a critical time as the state works to adopt a budget for the fiscal year. Counties can be greatly affected by the decisions made at the state level. So far counties are fortunate to not have major reductions in state funding as presented by Governor Corbett. I am hopeful but cautious.”
Patty shared with the attendees at the First Armstrong County Republican Women’s Annual Lincoln Day Dinner event held in Ford City on February 17, 2011, the leadership qualities of President Abraham Lincoln according to Doris Kearns Goodwin author of “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”. According to Goodwin our nation’s 16th President utilized the following qualities throughout his presidency:
In 2011 we celebrate the Sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s inauguration on March 4, 1861. President Lincoln was a great statesman and recognized God’s divine guidance. He said, “Without the assistance of the Divine Being … I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail.”
County leaders from across Pennsylvania unveiled on February 14, 2011, in Harrisburg a list of their top ten county government priorities for 2011 that called on state lawmakers to partner for efficient delivery of important services to state residents. The counties’ top priority is mandate relief, designed to seek reprieve from state mandates that are unnecessary or outdated. Additional priorities include transportation infrastructure, strengthening the partnership for human services, revenue opportunities/tax fairness, assessability of oil and gas, capping inmate medical charges, strengthening conservation districts’ relationships with DEP, maintaining and improving 911 services, oil and gas pipeline safety, and farmland preservation.
Armstrong County Commissioner Patricia Kirkpatrick was honored as she graduated from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Academy for Excellence in County Government within the Advanced Certification Program. She is shown receiving her certificate from CCAP President Joe Giles and Executive Director Doug Hill.
The Academy is a certificate-training program for county commissioners, chief clerks, administrators, county solicitors and their home rule counterparts. Participants complete required courses in leadership, management and decision-making; county legal issues; innovative approaches to county government; county functions and responsibilities; county financial management; risk management; personnel and labor relations; and personal development; and numerous other elective courses covering a wide range of topics. Candidates for Advanced Certification must complete additional classes beyond the basic course offerings.
“The Academy is an excellent tool in helping to prepare public officials for the important jobs they do by giving them the tools to provide exceptional service to the constituents they serve,” said Joe Giles, Erie County council member and president of CCAP. “The program provides Pennsylvania communities with better quality leaders who are needed to deal with the challenges of today’s county government.”
The Academy is a voluntary program that began in 1996. More than 100 County officials have graduated from the program and received the certificate since its inception.
CCAP is a statewide, nonprofit, bipartisan association representing the commissioners, chief clerks, administrators, their equivalents in home rule counties and solicitors of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Among other activities, the Association provides services and educational opportunities for its members so that they better administer the affairs of their offices to benefit the general public. For more information about CCAP, log on to www.pacounties.org.
Patty receives her oath of office from Judge Valasek.
Patty Kirkpatrick, Chairman of the Armstrong County Board of Commissioners was recently appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania to the state-wide PennSERVE Advisory Board. PennSERVE is the umbrella agency for volunteerism, service learning and community service initiatives throughout the Commonwealth. By distributing federal resources across the state, PennSERVE seeks to help citizens improve quality of life in their communities through service programs. As a new Board member Commissioner Kirkpatrick attended the state-wide launch of the AmeriCorps program and joined additional Board members from across the state that represent state government, education, nonprofits and the private sector. She is shown taking her oath of office from Armstrong County President Judge Ken Valasek to begin serving her term. She has supervised AmeriCorps members in her career and completed a graduate degree from IUP focused on volunteerism and service learning. She is honored to be chosen to serve the Commonwealth in this capacity to enhance participation in citizen service.
