2024 Pennsylvania general election voters' guide: Treasurer
Candidates participating in this year’s general election were invited to submit information to the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, which partnered with PennLive to create this voters’ guide.
The candidates below are in a contested race for Pennsylvania Treasurer and are in the order provided by the League of Women Voters.
Erin McClelland
Party: Democratic
County: Allegheny
Occupation: Process Improvement Consultant
Education: BS Psychology & Economics, MS Psychology
Qualifications: Founded and ran a small business, Spent a year training on process improvement and organizational problem solving under former US Treasury Secretary O’Neill, 9 years doing process improvement for government systems in Allegheny County
What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?
I would expand the information you could see in the database of state contracts, including searching vendors by union/non-union as well as women and minority-owned businesses. I will provide a recommended vendor list that complies with US trade policies for fulfilling state purchases such as ensuring we are not purchasing from companies that use slave labor, child labor, or conflict-mined materials. I would not invest in foreign holdings and would reinstate the pension investment standards that existed before pension de-regulation in 2003.
How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?
Transparency is a word that is thrown around loosely in politics. However, it is only truly achieved if it is demonstrated at times when it is inconvenient and when we make mistakes. Elected officials identifying errors in the interest of improving performance rarely happens. That must change. The current Treasurer’s Asset report only states what is going well. It does not identify opportunities for improvement. I would let the taxpayers know where I think we could improve or mistakes we may have made, the cause of the mistake and the correction. I also hope to move toward incorporating ESG (environmental, sustainability, governance) ratings into investment standards if that rating should be established as a viable measure.
Stacy Garrity
Party: Republican
County: Bradford
Occupation: Pennsylvania State Treasurer
Education: Bachelor of Science in Finance/ Minor in Economics Bloomsburg University Certificate Cornell University Business Management Institute
Qualifications: Thirty-year decorated member of the U.S. Army Reserve with three deployments to the Middle East including a Battalion command 34 years in private sector manufacturing, retiring as one of the first female vice presidents of Global Tungsten & Powders, an international refractory metals co.
Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram
What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?
I will build on the progress made during my time in office. Since January 2021, I’ve worked with my bipartisan team at the Treasurer’s office to set a new record for returning unclaimed property (more than $274 million in a single year, and more than $600 million altogether), to earn the first-ever Gold Rating from Morningstar for our PA 529 College & Career Program (making it one of the top two programs in the nation), and to nearly triple the assets in the PA ABLE savings program for people with disabilities (to over $115 million).
I will continue cutting fees for both of Treasury’s savings programs: PA 529 (so far, I’ve saved account owners more than $11 million) and PA ABLE (so far, I’ve cut fees three times).
How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?
Transparency is a core principal under my watch. Every dollar that comes to Treasury, and every dollar paid out, belongs to the taxpayers. They deserve to see exactly what’s happening with their money.
Before I took office, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department received a ‚ÄúC‚Äù rating for transparency. That’s unacceptable, so I immediately went to work improving transparency at all levels.
I added many new features to the Transparency Portal on Treasury’s website, making it easier for people to see our state’s expenditures, revenue, and budget. I added county-level data for all of Treasury’s programs, and I revamped the Fiscal Health Scorecard which allows people to easily compare Pennsylvania’s fiscal performance to other states.
Nickolas Ciesielski
Party: Libertarian
County: Westmoreland
Occupation: Engineer
Education: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University
Qualifications: Ability to solve complex issues, leadership positions professionally and within the Libertarian Party, strong foundation in the Austrian school of economics.
What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?
The biggest issue to me is state debt. The legislature should not be spending future generations of Pennsylvanians into debt. The federal debt is over $35 trillion, with a debt per citizen of over $104,000. The Treasury dashboard reports a debt per capita of almost another $4,000. I will refuse to issue any bonds that would further grow the state debt. Additionally, I will push to eliminate state pensions and convert all government employees to a 457 retirement plan to prevent taxpayers from running the risk of needing to bail out the pension fund, which is currently 64% funded. I will also include a significant Bitcoin allocation in state investment funds, including the pension fund.
How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?
The transparency portal does not provide an easy breakdown of what the investment pools are actually invested in. The public deserves to know where their money is being invested and determine if those investments align with their values. Additionally, I will make all records public and implement a system to crowdsource auditing the state treasury, allowing average citizens to earn small rewards while helping to hold their government accountable.
Troy Bowman
Party: Constitution
County: Lancaster
This candidate has not completed the 2024 general election voters’ guide.
Chris Foster
Party: Forward
County: Allegheny
Occupation: Real Estate Sales Associate
Education: Bachelor of Arts
What improvements, if any, would you make to the State Treasurer’s office?
As an Independent State Treasurer, I will ensure the office serves all Pennsylvanians, regardless of Party interest. Aligned with the Forward Party’s sensible, independent approach, I’ll enhance transparency and accessibility, empowering citizens to understand how their tax dollars are managed. We’re building a movement from the ground up, focused on fiscal responsibility and collaboration, ensuring a secure and prosperous financial future for everyone.
How can you make the work of the State Treasurer’s office more transparent to the public?
As State Treasurer, I’ll implement user-friendly tools that empower citizens to track spending and investments, ensuring accountability. My focus will be on creating an open, clear, and responsive government, making sure everyone understands how their money is used.
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