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Donaldson to seek Blair DA position

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Robert S. Donaldson hopes the third time is the charm.

The Hollidaysburg attorney is seeking the Repub­li­can nomination for the office of Blair County district attorney in the May primary election.

“I think it is time for a change. I believe any governmental office should be focused on how it uses taxpayers dollars,” Donaldson said.

“I think our criminal justice system can be improved. Twenty percent of our cases are older than a year. There is no other county our size that has that high of a percentage,” he said. “That means we are spending more time and energy to get things done and are spending more money than needed to get things done.”

Donaldson, 61, ran unsuccessfully for the office in 2001 and 2005.

Donaldson is opposing Rich­ard Consiglio, who has served as district attorney for 12 years.

“In the past 11-plus years, we are averaging over 2,500 new court cases each year; in every other fifth-class county the average is 1,500 cases. We need to drive these numbers down. As the county’s chief law enforcement officer, there is a responsibility and accountability to drive those numbers down. After 12 years with the numbers not improving, I believe it is time for a change,” Donaldson said.

“Safeguarding taxpayers’ money is my top priority. The only way to improve the bottom line is to reduce expenses and become more efficient,” he said.

Donaldson, who has a degree from Penn State in law enforcement and corrections and a juris doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, also has served as a deputy attorney general for Pennsyl­vania, where he prosecuted cases in the Organized Crime & Narcotics Section. He also has more than 25 years of experience as an executive in the food service distribution industry.

“I’ve worked in 45 of the the 67 counties in Pennsyl­vania as a prosecutor and defender. I also worked in the federal court system. I have leadership skills developed from my business life to focus on results,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson said he has broad-based support.

“I think he would bring a professionalism to the office that it hasn’t had,” said Aaron Ritchey, president of the Blair County Citizens for Accurate Reassessment, which Donaldson represents.

“He has the professional background and the law background to make good decisions and create efficiencies in the county,” Ritchey said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

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