Osche running for third term as county commissioner
Leslie Osche, chairwoman of the Butler County board of commissioners, is seeking the Republican Party nomination to run for her third term in office.
“I have been committed to building a welcoming, environment where business thrives and individuals and families connect in vibrant, safe communities,” Osche said in a Friday news release. “We build on the resilience and honor the values those who have gone before us, our seniors and veterans, while mentoring the next generation of leaders and young people whose vision and innovation will continue to make us strong.”
In her first two four-year terms, Osche said the county has become the benchmark among counties for collaborative leadership and partnerships with municipalities and businesses.
She said her commitment to conservative financial management has resulted in a tenfold increase in the budget fund balance. She said she is committed to improving access to services by working with row offices, and her work with the district attorney, sheriff, school districts and municipalities has resulted in the county having the second-lowest crime rate in the state.
Osche said she and fellow Republican Commissioner Kim Geyer, who is also running for reelection, traveled to Washington, D.C., to obtain federal dollars for infrastructure work for Gateway 228, Freedom Road and Routes 356 and 68.
She said she and Geyer led the development of the county Infrastructure Bank program that uses Act 13 natural-gas drilling fees to offset interest on collective borrowings for municipalities and authorities.
Working with county planners, Osche said she and Geyer advanced the AC Valley Business Park water/sewer project, saving 500 jobs, and secured more than $4 million in Community Development Block Grant Funds for the Marion Township sewer project.
Osche and Geyer said they challenged the Department of State and provided support and education to state and federal elected officials regarding election integrity.
“I believe in the power of the people and in restoring election oversight to our locally elected judges and inspectors of elections, the people who voters trust in their own communities. Central count of mail-in ballots, removes that oversight and degrades the fabric of the community and the role of our citizens in the democratic process,” Osche said.
At the request of business owners whose lives and businesses were impacted by state- ordered closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, Osche said that she and Geyer succeeded in bringing legal action that prevented future business interruptions.
Osche serves as chairman of the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, which advocates for funding for transportation projects, economic development and broadband expansion.
She serves on the boards of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, New Economy Board of Southwest Pennsylvania, Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and the Community Development Corporation.
She served three terms as treasurer of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and is on the board of fellows of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics. She is a member of Butler County Republican Women.
Osche serves in leadership roles with United Way of Butler County, Butler County Chamber of Commerce, St. Barnabas Health System, Lifesteps, Inc. and the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Butler High School and Duquesne University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Honors English. She was active in Girl Scouting and has been an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Butler for 33 years.
“I am grounded in faith and guided by God and proud to be the daughter of a World War II veteran; wife of a retired steelworker and volunteer firefighter; mother of a law enforcement professional, a talented filmmaker/stage mechanic; and aunt to a beautiful and diverse family who salutes the flag of the United States of America,” Osche said.
Osche and her husband, James, reside in Meridian. Her campaign website is www.oscheworks.com.
The terms of all three Butler County commissioners expire at the end of the year. Earlier this month, Democrat Kevin Boozel announced that he intends to seek a third term as well.
The primary election will be held May 16, and the general election will be Nov. 7. In Butler County, a maximum of two candidates each from the Republican and Democratic parties can advance from the primary election to the general election. Third-party candidates also will be eligible to appear on the ballot.
