Twenty-year veteran of the Blair County Commissioner’s Office John J. Ebersole is seeking the Republican nomination in the spring primary for re-election to the board of commissioners.
In an announcement made this week, Ebersole said he will use his experience as a county leader and his “strict representation of taxpayers” to persuade county residents that he is the person for the job.
“I’ve been here for the last 20 years and feel that I’ve done a pretty good job with helping to lead this county,” said Ebersole. “I’ve really enjoyed the challenges of this office and have watched as these challenges have become harder and harder each and every year. I enjoy facing those challenges and look forward to facing more in the future.”
Ebersole, 54, of Altoona, a self-proclaimed “conservative,” is one of three candidates seeking two nominations that will be awarded by the Republican party in the spring primary. Commissioner John H. Eichelberger of Blair Township and current Altoona school board President Barry Wright, also of Altoona, are the other candidates for the position.
“You get a lot of candidates saying they are going to do this and they are going to do that, but that’s all a bunch of rhetoric.
“Once you get in here, it’s just a matter of survival,” he said. “I’ve survived the last 20 years and watched as we experienced both good and bad times. You need to know the system and how things work. I know about those situations and helped the present and past boards work through them. That’s why my nomination is important to the residents of Blair County.”
Ebersole said he institutes a two-pronged approach while working as a commissioner.
“I’m not afraid to make the hard decisions and I’m not afraid to make enemies,” he said. “I’ve been in both boats.
“But what you do have to make sure of is an equal approach to both the business industry in the county and the tax payers who live here,” he said. “Both are the most important aspects of any county, and with a re-election, I vow to put both feet forward into both of these, as I always have.”
Ebersole said there are a number of important issues that Blair County will face over the next few years and elaborated on one of those – job creation. He said although the overall economic state of the country is low, Blair County “has been able to keep its head above the water.”
“Obviously, every county in the United States is trying to create more jobs, which makes accomplishing that very competitive,” he said. “I know what it takes to bring business and industry into Blair County that will create the necessary jobs for our workforce and I will continue to do that.”
Ebersole graduated from Penn State University and played professional football with the New York Jets. He is also business-partnered with his brother Charlie at Ebersole Auto Sales in Altoona.
