After welcoming his 150 guests to his annual ‘Pint of Chester County’ fundraiser last week, Commissioner Terence Farrell said something that underscores why Chester County leads the state in practically every economic, educational, community and cultural indices.

First, lets set the stage. The date of the event, Tuesday, November 14th, was just seven day after Democrats swept of all four county row offices.

In what was arguably the most significant Democratic upset in the county’s 237-year history, four qualified, hard-working, publically minded Republicans lost to four Democrats, all relative newcomers to the political process and county government.

While the stinging defeat was the number one topic of conversation amongst those gathered at the Commissioner’s fundraiser, Farrell never once mentioned the election outcome.

Instead, after a brief welcome, Farrell paused to remember the sudden and tragic death of Adam Swope in a car accident on 202 three days before. Noting that Swope, just 38 years-old, was a county employee, Farrell said,

“I’d like to acknowledge and remember our colleague in the Commissioners’ office whom we lost over the weekend in a tragic car accident. Adam Swope was the administrative aide to Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. He was a kind and gentle soul, and he will be missed. I ask that you keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.”

Once done, Farrell’s guests respectfully applauded, acknowledging the commissioner’s heartfelt remarks about the loss of one of the county’s own.

The irony of course, and what few people in the room knew, was that Adam Swope was the Democratic strategist behind the Republican’s stinging defeat seven days earlier.

Farrell’s thoughtful remarks noting the death of a friend, colleague and sometime opponent, is an example of why politics work in Chester County.

While parties and candidates at national level weaponized their talking points and view opponents in never-ending campaigns as mortal enemies, candidates vying for open Chester County school board, supervisor, borough council, district justice and even commissioner seats, wage sometimes fierce campaign battles but work together for the good of the community once Election Day is past.

This attitude of political competition, not warfare, opponents rather than enemies, is a hallmark of Chester County politics and the essence of how business gets done in Chester County.

For whatever reason, whether it be Chester County’s Quaker heritage, its agricultural roots or the lack of political corruption anywhere in the county, politicians in Chester County, as commissioner Farrell illustrated last week, treat each other with respect even when they disagree – in fact, especially when they disagree.

That foundation of civility and cooperation will undoubtedly be tested in the coming weeks and months. As political power at the courthouse shifts, the nation debates an essential but half-baked tax reduction and the president figures out what it means to be presidential, we would do well to remember municipal and county government would grind to a halt without civility.

As one national county official put it, “without civility as a baseline, attempts at problem-solving would never come to fruition and instead would be buried under heaps of acrimony and distrust.”

Maintaining civil discourse amid the complex and competing needs of a large, diverse, growing and evolving county electorate is essential if Chester County is to maintain its regional and state leadership status.

If in fact, leadership starts at the top, Commissioner Farrell’s remarks remembering Adam Swope not only sets an example for how politics and political discourse is conducted in the county but points to a prosperous and harmonious future for the county as well.

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