Behind Closed Doors
Clerk of Courts Selection Cloaked in Secrecy
by Policy Brief
The power brokers who control the Dauphin County Republican Party from behind the scenes are once again excluding committee members, volunteers, contributors and other party loyalists from having any input into a major party decision.
The Clerk of Courts seat is vacant due to the resignation of Lowell Witmer who now serves as a Magisterial District Judge.
Governor Ed Rendell must appoint a new Clerk of Courts, an appointment subject to confirmation by the state senate. As is customary, the Dauphin County Republican Party will weigh in by putting its stamp of approval on a candidate.
That candidate has already been pre-selected, and now the official party machinery is grinding up to make him the official pick.
A screening committee has been established by Chairman John McNally. The members of the committee have been hand-picked by McNally with no input from the party's grassroots.
At this point, it remains a mystery as to who is sitting on the committee. Chairman McNally has refused to release their names saying he doesn't want them to be lobbied by supporters of the interested candidates.
As a result, the committee has begun its work in complete secrecy.
This is a prime example of what is wrong with the Dauphin County Republican Party.
The people asked to do the work of the party -- the folks who knock on doors, stuff envelopes, and work the polls -- are frozen out of the decision-making process. In fact few of the elected precinct committee members will have any direct input into who will be given the party nod for this post.
The proper course of action would be to call a county convention and, as is done with endorsements, let the candidates appear before the full committee to state their case and let the full committee decide who will be recommended to Senator Piccola and the governor.
But of course, if you want to control the process you don't throw it open to everyone, you conduct business behind closed doors.
And that is where this decision has been made.