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Kathleen M. Dobash said she would never cast a vote on Luzerne County Council without thorough research, even if it means she must work the equivalent of a full-time job gathering information.

“I am empowering myself with information, and I ask the public to empower themselves with information before they vote on Nov. 8,” the Hazleton woman told a Times Leader endorsement panel.

The council must thoroughly research the backgrounds of county manager applicants, she said.

“It has to be the right person and the right choice, and I’m not going to be pressured by anyone to expedite that process,” she said.

Dobash said she has always followed county government but “stepped it up” since the May primary by interviewing county workers, requesting public documents and attending transition committee meetings.

She said she hasn’t hesitated to challenge the transition committee if she disagrees with its decisions or believes it’s straying from its purpose, though she sometimes feels ignored with a “united front” against her.

“I’m glad I stood alone,” she said.

Dobash said she will give up her part-time job as a therapeutic staff support worker for Step By Step because it would violate a home rule charter provision prohibiting council members from being employed or compensated by a business that contracts with the county. That agency has service agreements with county human service divisions.

Dobash said she will consult the state Ethics Commission for an opinion on whether she would have to abstain from voting on the company’s contracts if she’s elected and, if so, for how long.

She said her experience as a support staff worker and taking care of her mother will be an asset when overseeing county human service branches because she understands the services and public needs.

Dobash said she also has past experience negotiating union contracts as a teacher outside the area.

She said she attended a recent public meeting about county-owned Moon Lake Park in Plymouth Township and wants to explore ways to “bring it back” without taking more money out of the county’s general fund operating budget.

Dobash said she will distribute her cell phone number to the public because she wants to be accessible.

The new county manager must stick to a tight budget because the county has $415.04 million in outstanding debt to repay, she said.

County officials should also meet with union leaders to request a pay freeze or other concessions to get the county “back on track,” she said.

“Raising taxes is the very last option. I do not want to do that to the citizens and taxpayers and property owners of this county,” she said.

Kathleen M. Dobash

Age: 51

Political party: Republican

Residence: Hazleton

Education: Bachelor’s degrees in art and art education, Penn State University; post-grad courses.

Work experience: Previously unit desk clerk at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville; currently a therapeutic staff support worker for Step By Step and a freelance art educator.

Family: Single; one adult child.