As our State Representative, George Dunbar has used his experience as a CPA, trusted local elected official, husband, father and taxpayer to deliver on his campaign promise to always put taxpayers first.
Elected in November 2010 as State Representative for the 56th District, George was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. He grew up in a close knit family as the youngest of four children where his parents taught him the importance of hard work, commitment to family and service to community.
After graduating from high school, George turned down an appointment to the Naval Academy believing he was ready to make his mark in the business world. At the age of 23, he became general manager of a local restaurant chain and ran several stores over the next seven years. This experience taught him many skills, but most of all the importance of giving an honest day’s work for a fair day’s pay. It was then that he realized he wanted to pursue accounting as a professional career.
This is also when George met his wife, Sandy, and they married and started their own family. After the birth of his first two daughters, Stephanie and Erin, he decided it was time to continue his education. A nurse who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, Sandy began working two jobs so George could attend Robert Morris College. George graduated summa cum laude in just two and a half years with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration and concentration in Accounting. One week after his graduation, George took and passed his Certified Public Account (CPA) exam and quickly secured work, specializing in construction and tax accounting. George has used his experience as our representative to help balance the budget and prioritize spending.
Expecting their third child, Sandy and George moved to Penn Township because of the quality schools and open space in Westmoreland County. There, the Dunbar’s welcomed two more daughters, Alex and Samantha. Over the years, George volunteered as a basketball coach and board member of the Penn Trafford Basketball Association. He was also a member of the Band Parents Association, Library and Sewer Boards.
George would run for Penn Township Commissioner to use his accounting and business background to make his local government run more efficiently and effectively for residents. It is in this position that George proved his ability to protect taxpayers. Under his leadership, he never raised property taxes while prioritizing spending on the Library, Fire and Police Departments.
A true fiscal conservative, George helped his township reduce debt and develop long range plans to address the pressing issues facing his community, including infrastructure, pension and retirement benefits, and more. Capitalizing on his real world experience, he instituted a zero-based budgeting process to eliminate wasteful spending and save taxpayers over $200,000 annually. With George’s help, Penn Township is a model municipality in protecting tax dollars while providing top-quality services.
In Harrisburg, George has continued this fiscally responsible record, putting Pennsylvania back on a strong fiscal foundation while working to prioritize spending on vital services like education and taking the first steps to make our state competitive in the national jobs marketplace and to foster economic growth. As Representative, George has also worked hard to listen to and work with local residents to ensure their concerns, ideas and views are brought to the table in the state capital.