To the Editor,

On September 13, 2016, primary election day, the names of two candidates will appear on the ballot, both running to be the Republican candidate for the position of St. Lawrence County Treasurer. It is crucially important for the future financial health of St. Lawrence County, that the person elected to run for the position in November, be the most qualified and experienced to oversee and manage the budget of a "business" that has a budget of almost a quarter billion dollars.

One would expect that such a person would have impeccable credentials, a stable work history and the requisite knowledge base and experience required to effectively manage a budget of such huge proportions. One of the candidates possesses all of these qualifications and then some. This candidate is Derek VanHouse.

Derek is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is currently a partner in the St. Lawrence County based CPA accounting firm of Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper and VanHouse. In his time as a CPA, he has conducted audits of governmental entities, school districts and businesses and provided them with in depth independent reviews and analysis of their financial status in addition to providing advice and direction to guide future financial decisions. He is the only candidate who has conducted independent financial investigations of multi-million dollar entities.

His efforts have led to identifying potential problems going forward and solutions to the problems before they become full blown issues. He will bring a fresh set of eyes to a county that has been deemed by the State Comptroller to be in significant financial distress, and a host of new ideas on how to best manage the finances of our County.

Derek’s work ethic and knowledge base will complement our very capable and dedicated County Administrator and County department heads and will provide a CPA's overview, insight and evaluation of where the County needs to go and what it needs to do to get there.

For what is best for St. Lawrence County, I urge that when you vote in the Republican primary that you consider the bargain we will get by voting for Derek Van House and then confirming that vote in the November general election.

Joseph Lightfoot

County Legislator District 3

Oswegatchie, Morristown, Canton