Hempfield's Paul Kosko announces bid for county commissioner

The man who oversees the computer systems at the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County announced Friday he will run for county commissioner.

Paul Kosko, 57, a Republican from Hempfield, told about a dozen supporters who gathered in front of the courthouse he wants to serve as a bipartisan elected official who would seek federal money to improve infrastructure and transportation in the county.

“I don’t want this job if I have to compromise my goals. I really want to make a positive difference in Westmoreland County,” Kosko said.

A native of Jamestown, N.Y., Kosko came here more than three decades ago to take a job with the water authority. He holds a finance degree from West Virginia University and a master’s degree from Point Park University.

His platform, he said, focuses on leveraging federal money for various projects to improve roads, sewers and water systems. He also said he favors a renewed interest in Maglev, a high-speed train system to link Greensburg with Pittsburgh International Airport. The now-dormant project was first proposed more than two decades ago.

“This one project would change the region. If someone could get on light rail and commute to Pittsburgh for work, see a ball game or catch a flight, that would improve our quality of life. Better yet, connect the two airports, Latrobe and Pittsburgh, and truly we would be able to compete as other modern regions do in other parts of the country,” Kosko said.

Two Republicans and two Democrats will be nominated in the May primary. The top three vote-getters in the November general election will take seats on the board of commissioners for four-year terms. Incumbents — Democrats Ted Kopas and Gina Cerilli, and Republican Charles Anderson — have yet to make formal announcements about potential re-election bids.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.