Berks County commissioners: who they are and what they do

Berks County is governed by a three-member Board of Commissioners: Christian Y. Leinbach (chair), Michael S. Rivera (vice chair), and Dante Santoni Jr. They adopt the county budget, set the county property tax rate, hire department leadership, award county contracts, and oversee everything from elections to the jail. They meet in public most Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Berks County Services Center in Reading.

The three commissioners

Commissioners are elected county-wide every four years. Voters may pick at most two of the three seats, a Pennsylvania rule that guarantees the minority party one seat. The current board is two Republicans and one Democrat, and their terms run through 2027.

• Christian Y. Leinbach (Republican), chair. The longest-serving of the three, and the board's chair since 2011 according to his county biography, which says he lives near Hamburg.
• Michael S. Rivera (Republican), vice chair. A commissioner since 2020. He lives in Bern Township.
• Dante Santoni Jr. (Democrat). Took office in January 2024. He represented Reading's 126th district in the Pennsylvania House for about two decades before retiring from the legislature in 2012, and later served on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The board picks its chair and vice chair from among the three members at a reorganization meeting each January.

What the commissioners control

The board is the county's chief governing body and holds both executive and legislative power. Its main jobs:

• Adopt the annual county budget and set the county property tax rate (9.013 mills in 2026).
• Authorize county spending and award contracts.
• Hire and oversee the leadership of county departments.
• Appoint members to county boards, including the board that sets property assessments.
• Provide for the county jail and the people held there, and maintain county roads and buildings.
• Oversee the conduct of elections in the county.

Much of what the county spends is state and federal grant money tied to specific programs, so the commissioners cannot freely shift money from one department to another. Our report on where the county's roughly $690 million goes breaks down the budget, and how Berks County government works explains the split between the county, your municipality, and your school district.

The other boards they sit on

State law also puts the commissioners on several other county boards, where they act with a narrower focus:

• Salary Board sets the salaries and the number of employees for county offices.
• Prison Board oversees the county jail system, including the new-jail project.
• Election Board administers and certifies county elections.
• Retirement Board oversees the pension fund for county employees.

Day-to-day operations run through a chief operations officer, currently Kevin S. Barnhardt, who reports to the board.

How they get the job

• Commissioners run county-wide, not by district, and serve four-year terms.
• On the ballot, each voter may vote for no more than two candidates. The top three finishers win, which is how the minority party ends up with one of the three seats.
• Commissioners are elected in odd-numbered years, the same years as the county's row officers. The next commissioners election is in November 2027; the current terms began in January 2024.

When and where they meet

The board holds public meetings most Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the boardroom at the Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, 13th floor, Reading, with an online option through Microsoft Teams. The board also holds separate workshop sessions on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., and on a fifth Tuesday when a month has one, all as needed and in person only, and holiday-week meetings are sometimes canceled, so check the county meetings page before you go. Residents can address the board during the public comment period. Our guide walks through how to speak at a commissioners meeting, and you can follow the votes in our meeting coverage.

How to reach them

Commissioners' Office, Berks County Services Center, 13th Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Phone 610-478-6136, fax 610-478-6293, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each commissioner can be reached through that office.

Sources

• Board of Commissioners — County of Berks (current board, duties, contact info, meeting schedule)
• Commissioner Dante Santoni, Jr. — County of Berks
• Commissioners meetings page — County of Berks
• Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach biography — County of Berks
• Dante Santoni Jr. biography — Pennsylvania House Archives

Commissioners' Office: 633 Court Street, 13th Floor, Reading, PA 19601; 610-478-6136; Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

FAQ

Who are the current Berks County commissioners?

Christian Y. Leinbach (Republican, chair), Michael S. Rivera (Republican, vice chair), and Dante Santoni Jr. (Democrat). Leinbach has chaired the board since 2011, Rivera has served since 2020, and Santoni since January 2024.

Do all three commissioners have to agree to pass something?

No. The board acts by majority vote, so any two of the three members can carry a decision. A single commissioner cannot act for the county alone.

How much are the Berks County commissioners paid?

Their pay is set each year by the county Salary Board and listed in the county budget. Check the county budget or the Salary Board's records for the current figure rather than relying on an outside estimate.

When is the next Berks County commissioners election?

November 2027. Commissioners serve four-year terms, and the current terms began in January 2024. County row officers, such as the sheriff and district attorney, are on the ballot the same year.

What is the difference between a commissioner and a row officer?

The commissioners are the county's governing board and set the budget and tax rate. Row officers, such as the sheriff, district attorney, and recorder of deeds, are elected separately and run their own offices without answering to the commissioners. See how Berks County government works for the full list.