By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief

It must be great to be Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner. After all, even if the economy is bad, you’re probably still going to get a pay raise.

Looking back at Potter County budgets for the past few fiscal years, taxpayers will notice a trend when it comes to the county judge’s salary — it nearly always goes up. In fact, since Judge Nancy Tanner first took office in 2015, her pay has increased every fiscal year except for one. That means that Tanner has gotten pay increases six times during her seven complete years in office. Additionally, when Tanner first entered office, she took the reigns at the county with a pay increase passed by the Arthur Ware-led county commission in 2014.

Talk about a sweet gig.

Tanner’s pay increases have come even as taxpayers in our community have struggled to make ends meet in good times and bad. Nonetheless, Tanner nearly always got a pay increase and the taxes have gone up for local taxpayers. After all, we have got to keep paying those bureaucrat salaries someway.

The truth is this issue goes back to the heart of one of the biggest problems with Nancy Tanner’s tenure in office — the county’s bottom line has done very well, even as taxes have skyrocketed and taxpayers have struggled. It is clear that at Potter County, we have elected leaders who care more about keeping the money rolling in than they do about ensuring the taxpayers of the county are not being taxed out of their homes.

It’s a real problem, but it doesn’t have to be this way. This November, Tanner has a write-in opponent who has been endorsed by the Potter County Republican Party and the Republican Chairman, Dan Rogers. Tanner’s bad conduct in office does not have to be rewarded, as taxpayers have a chance this November to put an end to her annual pay raises and tax increases.

Vote against Nancy Tanner this November and restore fiscal sanity at the Potter County Courthouse.