Lawrence Co. officials elect board chairman

By Mary Grzebieniak | January 5, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

Lawrence County commissioners unanimously elected third-term Republican Commissioner Dan Vogler as chairman of the board of commissioners when they met for their first meeting of the new year Tuesday.

Vogler will lead the new board of commissioners, which has a Republican majority due to the election of local businessman Robert DelSignore. The third commissioner is second-term Democrat Steve Craig, who had been chairman. DelSignore replaces Commissioner Rick DeBlasio, who lost his bid for re-election.

Commissioners re-appointed County Administrator Jim Gagliano as the County Chief Clerk and Atty. Tom Leslie as Lawrence County Solicitor for 2012. Both will get the same 3 percent increase as other county administrators in 2012. Their salaries will be available after the salary board meets this month.

Commissioners also made allocations to several community organizations from the general fund. The allocations are an optional donation traditionally made by commissioners. The amounts remain the same as last year, when they were cut for budgetary reasons. The allocations are as follows:

Agricultural Land Preservation, $5,760

Airport Authority, $2,880

Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce, $2,880

Ellwood City Historical Society, $576

Ellwood City Arts/Crafts Festival, $4,032

Ellwood City Community Enrichment, $1,152

Hoyt Institute, $3,693

Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, $17,280

Lawrence County Conservation District, $64,800

Lawrence County Cooperative Extension, $75,816

Lawrence County Farm Show, $2,880

Lawrence County Firefighters Association, $5,760

Lawrence County Historical Society, $4,608

Lawrence County Humane Society, $2,246

Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation, $54,720

New Castle Area Transit, $8,640

Police Chiefs Association, $4,500

Special Olympics, $864

Tourist Promotion Agency, $3,456

Villa Maria Education Programs, $1,728

Westminster College, $576

Fireworks Festival, $576.

Commissioners also reappointed to four-year terms all three members of the Lawrence County Board of Assessment Appeals.

They are Charles Thomas Dean of Volant, chairman, Cheryl Watters of New Castle and Joe Carofino of Wayne Township.