Job description: The duty of the Pennsylvania treasurer is to safeguard the commonwealth’s financial assets, which total more than $120 billion in public monies. The office manages several programs in order to better serve the financial needs of Pennsylvanians. The Treasury Department is also responsible for: reuniting unclaimed property with its rightful owner; investigating loss, theft and fraud involving commonwealth checks; reviewing real estate leases and contracts entered into by commonwealth agencies; and maintaining the Pennsylvania contracts electronic library. The treasurer has specific duties in addition to the oversight of the department: serves as chair of the Board of Finance and Revenue, which selects banks to serve as depositories for state money; sets interest rates paid on commonwealth deposits; and hears and decides state tax appeals.
Term: Four years
Salary: $152,443
(Vote for one)
Question: If elected, what do you believe to be your most important priority in this office and how will you pursue it?
REPUBLICAN
Diana Irey Vaughan
(Nottingham Township, Washington County)
Website: www.friendswithdiana.com
Date of birth: Aug. 20, 1962
Education: 1981, West Virginia Business College; business, accounting and legal studies coursework at Fairmont State College and California University of Pennsylvania.
Occupation: Washington County commissioner, fifth term, managing 52 departments and nearly 1,000 employees and overseeing county-owned nursing home, airport, parks and bridges.
Qualifications: County commissioner, 16 years, led long-range planning resulting in job growth; member of Washington County Pension Board, managing pension funds of employees and retirees; member of Washington County Prison Board, overseeing operations of correctional facility, which maintains lowest cost per day per inmate in the state.
Answer to question: As commissioner, I fought for fiscal responsibility and good government, balancing seven consecutive budgets with no tax increase, keeping taxes low, and putting inmates to work in our community. I provided stewardship for pension funds and formed a strict investment policy statement, with a conservative approach, that met or exceeded industry benchmarks over the past 16 years. I will bring the same discipline and fiscal restraint to serve Pennsylvania.
DEMOCRAT
Robert McCord
(Lower Merion, Montgomery County)
Website: www.robmccord.com
Date of birth: March 15, 1959
Education: 1982, Harvard, history and economics; 1989, Wharton School of Business, MBA
Occupation: Pennsylvania state treasurer
Qualifications: Current Pennsylvania state treasurer, 2008-present; CEO/chairman and co-founder of the Eastern Technology Council; co-founder and managing director of PA Early Stage Partners; senior executive at Safeguard Scientifics Inc.
Answer to question: I will continue to use my business experience to protect taxpayers and invest wisely on their behalf. I won’t allow the office to be distracted by political games of special interest agendas. I will build on our record of success over the last three years and stay focused on creating good jobs and strong public income from investments while making government more accountable and transparent and working collaboratively to find innovative solutions to economic challenges.
LIBERTARIAN
Patricia Fryman
(No response received)