County Association Responds To Budget Proposal

Leaders of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania have weighed in on Tuesday’s budget address by Governor Tom Corbett (shown at left during a visit to Potter County). CCAP expressed support for the proposal of a human services development block grant. The association believes it could help to lessen the blow of funding cuts by allowing counties to determine where to spend the money most effectively, according to CCAP president and Lebanon County commissioner Jo Ellen Litz. “Flexibility is crucial – cuts without flexibility are unsustainable, and will result in the dismantling of the human services safety net in Pennsylvania,” Litz said.

Overall, county lines in the proposed general fund budget reflect recent appropriations trends, with most other human services, corrections, environmental, community development, transportation and judicial programs that counties implement spared the drastic cuts that had been anticipated. “While there is still a great deal of detail to be determined and discussed in the coming months, counties look forward to partnering with the Administration and the Legislature to develop innovative ideas and creative solutions that will maximize stewardship of taxpayer dollars and lead to more efficient service delivery,” Litz said.

CCAP has posted information on the budget and its county impacts on its website, www.pacounties.org, which will be updated as the association meets with the Governor’s Budget Office and state agencies to gather more detail on individual program areas.

Potter County Human Services directors and the Potter County Board of Commissioners are still analyzing the governor’s proposed budget to determine its potential impact on programs and services in Potter County. The commissioners are also working with CCAP’s legislative liaisons to provide input on House Bill 1950, a measure that would impose an impact fee and other regulatory measures on shale gas development in Pennsylvania (see story below).