WESTTOWN, Feb. 24, 2009 -- Promising to put an end to the explosive growth of the office’s budget in recent years, Mike McGann pledged to be the taxpayers’ advocate if elected Clerk of the Courts for Chester County, in gaining the Democratic Party endorsement in the May primary.
“I couldn’t be prouder — and more humbled — to accept the endorsement of the Chester County Democratic Party,” McGann said afterward. “I’m proud of my record as a strong Democrat and excited at the growth of the party here in Chester County. I think it’s pretty clear people from one end of the county to the other are looking for an alternative to ‘politics as usual’ and if we can elect all five of us to county government, it will be like a breath of fresh air.
Jim Reilly was endorsed for Controller, while Kipp Stone got the nod for County Treasurer and Dr. Megan Lynott was tabbed for Coroner. Martha Smith, the incumbent Jury Commissioner, was endorsed for a return to the courthouse.
“I’m very excited to be running with such a strong team of Democrats,” McGann said. “While we represent a diversity of voices, we share a core competency, a devotion to accountability and a close eye on the bottom line for the county’s taxpayers.”
McGann pledged to root out waste and fight to implement new technology to further cut costs and lessen the burden on the county’s taxpayers. He also pledged to end the culture of entitlement, which has prevented the county government from being fully accountable.
“A week ago tonight, the Republican Party fought over who’s turn it was to get these row office nominations,” McGann told the assembled crowd of more than 400 committee members and party dignitaries. “Not who was qualified, not who would best serve this county, but who’s turn it was. Ladies and gentlemen, I say to to you, that the days of that kind of paternalism in this county are just about over. Do you know who’s turn it is? It’s the taxpayer’s turn….our turn.”
McGann outlined his plan for a return to accountability in the court house and an end the kind of behind-closed-doors politics that has so long hampered this county.
“These are serious times and we need serious leaders,” McGann told supporters before his brief comments to the full committee at Stetson Middle School. “And we have to have leaders capable of making the tough decisions. Look at the explosion — more than 20 percent more — in expenditures in the clerk’s office in just one year, despite any serious increase in caseload and the addition of merely one judge, I know we can do better. I know we have to do better and when I am elected I will cut the office’s budget back as close as possible to the 2007 budgets numbers.”
