Commissioners Stand Unified against Raising Taxes
Armstrong County Commissioners Jason Renshaw, Pat Fabian and George Skamai agreed that their overall goal is to pass a balanced budget for 2017, despite the wants and needs of department heads that are creating “significant shortfalls.”
by Jonathan Weaver
The 2017 Armstrong County preliminary budget won’t be adopted until next month, but county commissioners already announced it will contain a balanced budget.
In July, Commissioner Chair Pat Fabian said a balanced budget was the goal, and that message did not change.
“Over a month ago, the board of commissioners met with elected officials and directors composing their wish list, wants and needs. There were significant shortfalls in the budget,” Fabian said. “(But) we will be proposing a balanced budget with no tax increase.
“This Board is committed not to increasing taxes – we’re going to draw that line in the sand.”
Because of the shortfall, commissioners will meet with select elected officials and directors again next week.
“We’re hoping those elected officials and department heads that did not choose to sign up sign up so we can meet with them and, at our November 3 meeting, we will be putting out our preliminary budget for review,” Fabian added.
Assistant Director of Administration Jennifer Long did not want to give a specific shortfall, but called the lack of funds “a large deficit between expected revenues and expenditures.” Officials expect revenues to be less than the $21 million budget passed for 2016.
“Unless we can find somewhere to increase our revenues, we’re probably looking at a $20 million budget,” Long said. “Not only did we have an increase in expenses with all the wants and needs, but we have a decrease in revenue that we’re trying to figure out where we can make even further cuts than we had last year.”
Long said hour-long meetings will be held with hopefully about two dozen department leaders.
Commissioners George Skamai and Jason Renshaw agreed with the overall goal.
“I think it’s fair to say there will be some difficult decisions that have to be made in order to reach our goal,” Skamai said. “We’re going to need that support of the elected officials and department heads.”
The County final budget will have to be passed by December 15.
Local News | jweaver October 21, 2016
By jorn jensen, October 21, 2016 @ 7:55 AM
No crap, they raised the taxes (budget) $2 million at the beginning of their term and then blamed it on the prior commissioners. What would be the need to raise it again?
A good place to look to make massive cuts is that boondoggle called 911 center. $3 million 10 year contract for Motorola to come in and dust off the radio system. What fools! 911 should have stayed in the basement of the courthouse and figured out how to live with it like the rest of us have to.
Continue taking away county vehicles from these people using them as personal transportation. That one ton emergency vehicle making 2 trips per day, up and down 28, would be a good place to start. The DA is well-enough compensated that he can drive his own car to/from work.
Call me if you need more suggestions.
By Just sayin, October 21, 2016 @ 10:18 AM
SELL the HEALTH Center. MOVE it to the JAIL building. (Get rid of the jail.) That way, fewer employees are screwed AND the elderly will have a one-story building to live in and is more safe and more modern.
PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! It’s NOT as crazy as you THINK!!!
By Resident, October 21, 2016 @ 12:35 PM
Yinz missed it when you voted against a Home Rule Charter. Part of the problem here is that you have too many elected Department Leaders and Independent Directors. No one is ever going to recommend reduced funding for their department. It would hurt their re-election chances. The commissioners don’t really have much authority or control over elected officials working under them. Maybe it’s time to take another look, an honest look, at Home Rule.
By Resident, October 21, 2016 @ 2:17 PM
Also, I doubt the Commissioners could strip the District Attorney of his County vehicle. That is an independent elected office, as are the District Magistrates. The Commissioners have no control over how that office is run. All they can do is determine how much money the office will receive during the yearly budget. If any of the Elected department heads feel they’ve been underfunded to the point of not being able to operate effectively, they can sue and the matter of funding gets decided by a County Judge, another Independent elected official. County Commissioners don’t really have as much power and authority as people seem to think that they do.
By jorn jensen, October 21, 2016 @ 9:32 PM
Resident, I believe that you are correct. The only thing that makes sense to these people is to grow their thiefdom to grow their power and security.
By sabrinafair, October 21, 2016 @ 11:37 PM
Cut expenses… start with Commissioner’s salaries….