Hamilton out as register of wills

The tumultuous tenure of Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton ended Tuesday.

Hamilton, 47, of Hempfield, officially walked away from the elected position she has held since January 2016, leaving a vacancy in the courthouse office that issues marriage licenses and oversees wills, estates and adoptions.

Her resignation was slated to take effect in January but she announced in August she would leave office four months early, on Sept. 3. Her resignation was part of a court settlement that involved claims she failed to run the office adequately and violated two court orders that required her to perform mandated functions and appear in person at the courthouse.

Hamilton’s name was removed from her office door Tuesday and will be taken off all official documents starting Wednesday.

Katie Pecarchik, who was hired as the office’s first deputy earlier this summer, will become acting register of wills, said Jim Antoniono, who in May was appointed conservator to run the office through year’s end after two county judges stripped Hamilton of her authority.

Antoniono said he will continue to serve in that capacity on a limited basis but expressed confidence in Pecarchik’s ability to run the office.

“If there are any hiccups, I want to be the one responsible for it. Unless something comes up, I don’t anticipate billing the county further,” Antoniono said. “I will stop in now and then just to see how everything is going.”

Antoniono has been paid $17,000 since May for his work as conservator. He has not submitted any bills for payment since the end of July, Controller Jeffrey Balzer said.

Pecarchik, 56, of Hempfield worked for two decades as a clerk in the register of wills office before retiring last year. As a Democrat she ran unsuccessfully to oust Hamilton from office in 2019 and according to elections bureau records changed her party registration to Republican earlier this year.

She will serve out the remainder of Hamilton’s term as acting register until a permanent replacement is appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro and confirmed by the state Senate. Hamilton was unopposed last November when she was reelected and officially started her thirdterm in office in January.

Pecarchik’s salary as first deputy is $48,655. It was unclear Tuesday how her new title as acting register of wills will impact her pay.