artwick tackles local issues as commissioner
By John Fox
Staff Reporter
jtfls3@psu.edu
How would you like to be
completely responsible for
an entire city at the age of
25? In 1998, George Hartwick
111 accomplished just that by
becoming the youngest mayor in
Steelton history.
Hartwick, a Democrat, worked
very hard for over five years for
the residents of Steelton and
is now hard at work in his new
political position: Dauphin County
Commissioner.
Hartwick was elected to office
in November 2003, filling the seat
vacated by long-time Democrat
Commissioner Anthony Petrucci.
With the support of Petrucci,
Governor Rendell, Harrisburg
Mayor Stephen Reed, and the
majority of Dauphin County
voters, Hartwick brings the ideals
of the Democrat party to the
table in an otherwise Republican
dominated county.
His job description carries a
lot of responsibility. According
to the Dauphin County website,
as commissioner, Hartwick has
oversight responsibility for human
services, the public defender,
housing and redevelopment,
personnel, tax assessment,
weatherization, work release and
juvenile probation, the Capital
Region Economic Development
Corporation and the Dauphin
County General Authority.
Hartwick took time out of his day
to talk with The Capital Times
about issues such as bi-partisan
politics, prison overcrowding, and
strategies to keep Pennsylvania's
youth here after college.
Over the last couple years,
and especially since 9/11, there
has been mere effort among
politicians across America to work
together despite party affiliations.
Hartwick talked about the utility
of bi-partisan cooperation.
"When you meet someone
Students have fun in the sun at spring luau
at their doorstep, they want to
know if you're a Republican or
Democrat," said Hartwick. "I
always ask people, when we try
to solve problems, like a pothole
in the road, would you ask me
if it's a Republican or Democrat
pothole? I think we need to,
as a society and in our political
process, move more away
from individuals posturing over
political platforms, particularly
when we're at local government
delivering services directly to
our citizens. We shouldn't be
talking about partisan issues
that we have no decisions over.
We're not talking about abortion
rights or gun control, we're
talking about delivering effective
services, providing opportunities
for economic development and
additional jobs, making sure our
county workforce is our number
one priority, and making sure
that their morale is such that
they're able to have fair working
conditions and deliver these
services of the county." •
These statements seem very
promising, but there will always
be someone, at any given
capacity, which will tear down
such emphatic statements as a
means to their own end.
"Certainly. I am all for having
different opinions," said Hartwick
on welcoming criticism and
debate. "But, there is a way
to disagree without being
disagreeable. There's also a way
we can bring civility back to the
process and make it less partisan
and more about what's in the best
public interest."
Hartwick oversees Dauphin
County's many fiscal concerns,
including the money that is
spent at Dauphin County Prison
(DCP). Hartwick believes that
overcrowding is an issue at DCP
and that simply throwing people
in jail and building more prisons
isn't the answer to crime in the
midstate. He said that progressive
forms of incarceration, such
as the Dauphin County Work
Release Program, are beneficial
to all parties considered and
should be expanded upon.
"Thirty to 40 percent of the
inmates at DCP are in there for
not paying child support," said
Hartwick. "Are you telling me that
these men can provide for their
children while sitting in this jail?
Absolutely not. Certainly they
should be in the Work Release
Center (WRC). Expanding WRC
is a critical component, as well
as alternatives to education,
to making sure individuals are
out there paying their debt to
society as well as trying to help
their children and not wasting
taxpayer dollars by sitting in jail
doing absolutely nothing."
According to the Director of
Probation and WRC in Dauphin
County, Terry Davis, 80 percent
of people coming into the system
are involved with drugs. Hartwick
said that drug rehabilitation is
a major component in helping
inmates make the transition back
into society. By taking a more
compassionate and responsible
approach, he believes the
answer is not to lock up convicted
criminals and throw away the
key.
"We need to make sure that
prison is not a revolving door
for these people," said Hartwick.
"They do need to be locked up,
but we also need to make sure
that the burden doesn't always
fall back on the citizens of
Dauphin County. Unfortunately,
in the times we live, our federal
and state governments are
undergoing major cuts. These
cuts really hurt the people who
can least afford the types of cuts
being made."
Pennsylvania has one of the
largest senior populations in the
nation, and it isn't simply because
a large amount of older citizens
live here. It's because all of the
young people are leaving.
There has been growing concern
over the last couple of years
regarding the number of young
Clockwise from left: Tanya McCausland, Gus Laffey, Mark Wallace and Hannah Gordon enjoy many of the
Photos by Kathryn Herr/Capital Times foods available at the spring luau. The foods included smoothies and hawaiin-style rice.
Entertainment
Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick stands with two local residents during his campaign for
commissioner. Hartwick was the mayor of Steelton before becoming commissioner.
adults who are getting educated
here in the Commonwealth and
then accepting more lucrative
jobs elsewhere. Hartwick sees
this as a major area of concern
that needs to be addressed.
"We need to think from
an economic development
standpoint that if a business
moves into your community
that there are no losers," said
Hartwick. "All of us will benefit
from the additional job creation
and expanded tax base. We also
need to begin a real serious effort
in providing a trained workforce
to meet the current needs of
our world. Because of all the
competition out there, we need
to lure individual new companies
here in a way that's going to
assist them in getting their hooks
into the ground through various
means, such as tax increment
financing as well as some
The Capital Times, May 16, 2005
government assistance."
Hartwick commended Mayor
Stephen Reed's efforts to create
the Harrisburg University of
Science and Technology to help
our residents learn and apply
these specialized technical skills
needed in today's workforce.
He said we need to market
ourselves known nationally as
well as regionally and our hotel
tax and tourism dollars ought to
be providing the means for such
exposure.
He also said he wants people to
think of an individual who is true
to his theme when they hear his
name: "Hard work is the Hartwick
way."
"I want to have the people know
that I am dedicated to public
service and not motivated by
money," said Hartwick. "I know
the experience I've gained in
Photo courtesy of www.georgehartwick.com
economic development, public
finance, managing employees,
and my record as Mayor of
Steelton, has indicated that I am
truly making decisions based
on the best public interest and
not my personal interest. I'm not
afraid to take on challenges and
I'm a leader who stands behind
his decisions. I'm open to debate
and I encourage individuals to
get involved in the process. I look
forward to continue to provide
this type of leadership and
decision making for the residents
of Dauphin County."
Hartwick is proud to be serving
the citizens of Dauphin County.
You can contact him by calling the
Dauphin County Commissioners'
office at 717-692-1947 or visit
him on the web at Dauphin
County's homepage at www.
dauphincounty.org.