When most State College residents have a concern or a complaint about their community, they probably would not think of seeing someone called an ombudsman.

The Swedish term refers to a person specializing in helping those who have a problem with governmental matters. An ombudsman also provides information regarding inquiries and puts people in contact with the appropriate sources, said Bob O'Connell, University associate professor of political science.

At the city level, each agency might have its own ombudsman, while in State College the role of ombudsman has been held for the last 12 years by Mayor Arnold Addison.

Addison said he took on the role of community ombudsman when elected into office 12 years ago because he wanted to eliminate a traditional "City Hall's" reputation of "passing the buck."

"At the time I didn't know what an ombudsman was," Addison confessed. "I had to look it up in the dictionary."

The mayor likes his active role in the community and gains satisfaction when he is able to resolve a problem between citizens.

Addison said he has been a part of dilemmas such as the current borough parking problems and those faced by Citizens for Barrier Free Living, a group that works toward improving the atmosphere for the handicapped.

In addition to helping members of the community, the ombudsman can relieve some of the complaints the borough council has to address, and give it more time to serve the community in other aspects, Addison said.

The mayor -- under a home-rule government -- has more time to field problems and inquiries than most other government officials, O'Connell said. In addition, in small towns, the mayor knows the people and is familiar with town situations, he added.

Borough Manager Peter Marshall said Addison is fair and equitable. He has seen a wide variety of situations and is familiar with the borough, which puts him in a good position to make decisions, Marshall said.

According to Addison's "Mayor's Operational Manual," when citizens have a complaint, suggestion or problem, a mayor should "receive the message, promise follow-up, conduct an investigation, receive a response and contact the citizen."

A prompt response or follow-up within a day or two is very important, Addison stressed. In addition, the ability to listen to both sides of the story and bring the parties together to help them reach a compromise is necessary.

Experiences as personnel director and a professor of industrial relations at the University, where he worked for about 30 years, taught Addison how to keep in touch and work with people, he said. While at Penn State, Addison was elected by his colleagues to be an ombudsman for the industrial and management systems engineering department.

Soon after the elections, Addison found himself mediating disagreements such as difficulties between faculty members and the department head.

In a community setting, the role of an ombudsman allows for the combination of an advocation and vocation by allowing communication skills to be brought to the public sector through voluntary action, Addison said.

The role of an ombudsman is simply "to attempt to resolve differences people have, amicably," he said.