After listening to six, five-minute pitches from commissioner candidates, Chester County’s Court of Common Pleas announced that a Tredyffrin lawyer would fill the vacancy created by Ryan Costello’s election to the U.S. House.
Michelle H. Kichline, a graduate of Conestoga High, the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University Law School, will succeed Costello. During last month’s election, Costello won the Sixth District congressional race and is scheduled to resign from his post as commissioners’ chairman on Dec. 15.
Members of the Chester County bench heard from all of the candidates on Monday morning in open court. President Judge James P. MacElree II asked a single question of each candidate: What is your view of the relationship between the courts and the commissioners as it relates to court funding?
Following the brief presentations from the candidates, the judges caucused for approximately half an hour, and the decision was made public two hours later. County spokeswoman Rebecca Brain said she did not yet know when Kichline would be sworn in. Kichline will join Terence Farrell, the other Republican on the board, and Democrat Kathi Cozzone. The seat will come up for election in November 2015.
Kichline told the judges that her interest in public service came from her parents, who emigrated from Hungary. She said she possesses a wide range of municipal experience. “I will be able to hit the ground running on Day One,” she said.
A former chair of the Tredyffrin Township supervisors, Kichline – who lost her bid for reelection in 2013 - has also served on the township’s zoning hearing board, the Chester County Association of Township Officials, and the Delaware River Port Authority.
Besides Kichline, the judges heard from John M. Primus of East Fallowfield, Leon R. Spencer Jr. of Kennett Square, Ann Duke of West Chester, Maureen Snook of East Bradford, and Hudson L. Voltz of East Brandywine.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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