Commission Chair: Bensalem House Election A 'Waste' (ICYMI)

BENSALEM, PA — Bucks County's new board of commissioner's chairwoman is speaking out against the plan to fill a Bensalem-based state House seat formerly held by one of her colleagues.

State House Speaker Mike Turzai has called for special elections on March 17 to fill three vacancies in districts formerly represented by his fellow Republicans. One of them is the 18th District in Bensalem, which was represented by Gene DiGirolamo.

DiGirolamo was elected in November to serve on the Bucks County Board of Commissioners. He is the three-member board's lone Republican, serving alongside Chairwoman Diane Ellis-Marseglia and former Falls Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Harvie.

Marseglia said the plan to fill DiGirolamo's old seat is wasteful.

"I think this special election is a waste of money and energy," she said in a written statment.

"With the primary early this year, we can easily delay filling the seat for a month. It seems a better option is for a temporary replacement to be named, who agrees not to run for the seat, but fills the obligations until the next term."

Pennsylvanians already are scheduled to go to the polls for presidential primary elections on April 28. Marseglia and others say the special elections could be held then.

She's not the only Democrat who's come out against the special election date.

House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody also criticized the plan, saying the three special elections could cost taxpayers more than $1 million.

"There's no good reason to hold these elections on a separate date so close to the primary," Dermody said in a written statement. "It's a large cost, one that's unbudgeted, and a needless complication that benefits nobody except a few political insiders."