A Republican candidate for Westmoreland County commissioner cried foul Friday over comments by a county worker who defended three-term incumbent Tom Balya against criticism leveled by GOP challenger George Dunbar.
In a posting on her Web site yesterday morning and in a later interview, Kim Ward suggested Balya's chief of staff, Ted Kopas, acted improperly by speaking on behalf of his boss' campaign Thursday. Kopas was responding to criticism by Dunbar during a news conference.
Kopas is listed as the treasurer for Balya's re-election committee, a post for which he is unpaid. He earns $47,210 a year from the county as Balya's chief of staff.
Ward and Dunbar will face Democratic incumbents Balya and Tom Ceraso in the Nov. 6 general election for three commissioners' seats.
"It's not really about Ted Kopas, but about a bigger issue, the arena of perception that I have questions about," Ward said.
On her Web site, Ward said: "That brings me to the second item, which is why is a county employee on county time, time that he is being paid a salary by the taxpayers to do county work, representing Tom Balya's campaign? Have they not been following the legal problems elected officials get themselves into when they use official staff for campaign work?"
Kopas said he was working in his capacity as a county employee to defend the financial policies of Balya, Ceraso and Republican Commissioner Phil Light. Kopas was responding to questions raised by a reporter about Dunbar's critique of the incumbents.
"We have an obligation to accurately detail the state of the county for any county resident or even an aspiring politician," Kopas said.
The state Ethics Commission has issued several recent rulings on the propriety of government employees performing campaign work while on the job, according to its chief counsel, Robin Hittie.
She pointed to a commission opinion, released in January, that said it was permissible for a government worker to answer questions about a political issue, as long as it was in reply to an unsolicited inquiry.
Hittie declined to comment specifically on the Kopas issue.
On Thursday, Kopas responded to questions that pertained to accusations raised by Dunbar about the county's finances. During his news conference, Dunbar accused Balya and Ceraso of mismanaging the county's budget. Balya was unavailable to comment Thursday, leaving Kopas to speak on his behalf.
Kopas, from his courthouse office, also released financial and court records detailing the March bankruptcy of a company where Dunbar had worked as chief financial officer. Dunbar, who left the firm in 2005, has denied any responsibility in the company's bankruptcy.
Balya was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Dunbar declined to comment yesterday, saying he and Ward would address the issue next week.
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