The Mercer County Branch of the Pennsylvania Economy League and the League of Women Voters of Mercer County developed five questions for the 12 candidates for Mercer County commissioner. Candidates were asked to keep their responses to 75 words. Some of the longer responses were edited by The Herald to comply. The following are their answers to one of the five questions. The other answers will be published Tuesday through Thursday in The Herald.

What is your experience and background in working with large budgets and financial matters and please describe your role in these undertakings?

   » OLIVIA LAZOR: Eleven years experience as county commissioner. Fifteen years of private finance/construction experience. Human services are 50 percent of the total $54 million county budget. As liaison to human services these 11 years, successfully attracted state and federal funds keeping local tax burden at 11 cents on the dollar. Successful in obtaining grants -- over $3 million last 4 years. Re-engineered operations: commissioners' 19 department directors reduced to 9.5 fulltime equivalents -- administrative overhead reduced 50 percent.

   » JAMES T. KAIBAS: Vernon Law once said, "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." In my 30 years of purchasing, marketing and sales, I have participated in budget meetings to prepare departmental budgets and have made necessary adjustments to meet the allocated funds. The new commissioners must strive to reduce the size of county government and therefore reduce the need for annual tax increases.

   » GEORGE POKRANT: I have worked in healthcare administration for numerous years. These duties entailed developing, working within, and redesigning budgets that affected hundreds of employees and was based in $80 million in receivables. In conjunction with this private sector experience I have worked with Grove City Borough's budget by establishing it and working within its parameters. These two experiences, coupled with my MBA, afford me the expertise in dealing with these issues and the regulations that provide the framework.

   » GLENN DOSCH: I have owned and operated a steel construction company for the last seven years. Many business owners know that being efficient and keeping costs low while still maintaining a top-notch service or product is a must to survive. I have managed the construction of projects in excess of two million dollars. My company, in light of very tough competition, has been profitable every year since its creation. I am blue collar and white collar.

   » THOMAS J. LIMBER JR.: I have the necessary education and experience. I graduated from Thiel College with a degree in business administration. I completed courses in government accounting and economics; budgets and fiscal management. I was chairman of the County Ohio Mental Health Board budget and finance committee, overseeing a budget of $20 million. I served on the Reynolds School Board, budget and finance committee, and was treasurer. Ohio General Assembly recognized me for outstanding service and fiscal responsibility.

   » JOE PHILLIPS: Designed budgets for programs and evaluated budgets for their effectiveness to meet the goals of the program. Evaluated state grants and budgets $5 million plus for their effectiveness. Basically, I have taken part in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the budget process.

   » RICHARD McMAHON: Rather than the size of budget a better evaluation as to experience and competence can be ascertained by determining whose money was it you were budgeting. For 42 years, I had to assess income levels based on competitors and again to the level of service and expenses based in customer demands. Penciling in figures and making sure they balance is not budgeting, it is simply arithmetic. The next five years requires business budgeting not simple arithmetic.

   » MARY BUCKWALTER: As a Wilmington Area School director, we work with a $12 million budget. During my tenure, Wilmington completed an $8 million renovation project in three elementary buildings. Original funding projections specified a 5-to-7 mill tax increase. We completed under budget, and found ways to balance our budget without increasing our taxes. We improved our fund balance from $26,000 to its current $1.9 million balance. This was accomplished in four years.

   » THOMAS DILL: I received a business degree from Westminster College and a law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School and have been practicing law for 16 years. I have represented Pennsylvania corporations in their legal and financial dealings, past board member of Mercer County Red Cross and past board member of Mercer County Children and Youth Advisory Board. The Mercer County Red Cross Board was involved in reviewing and approving budgets for each fiscal year.

   » MICHELE BROOKS: I have a successful voting record regarding millions of dollars in budgets. As vice chairman of Jamestown's Municipal Authority, I'm involved in managing and administrating a multimillion-dollar water project. As a council member, I helped obtain over $2 million awarded in grant money for infrastructure, sewer plant, police and recreation. I've successfully demonstrated the ability to make responsible budget decisions in my roles as United Way president and vice president of Jamestown Future Foundation.

   » BRIAN BEADER: As a representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers I help set policy in our local organization on numerous funds ranging from a few thousand to several million dollars. For a short time, I ran the Mercer County Building Trades and although much smaller in scale, I increased our fund balance by over 20%. For the last eight years I have owned and managed a small successful business of rental property.

   » BRUCE A. RICHAEL: Chief executive officer of a religious foundation for 24 years.