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Counties to Senate Republicans: No passing the buck!

Ten leaders representing 40 Pennsylvania counties visited Gov. Ed Rendell and members of the legislature Thursday carrying one simple message to Senate Republicans and their draconian budget proposal: “Don’t pass us the buck.”

County Commissioners and executives—including some from Republican counties—said they cannot afford to absorb additional costs that would become their responsibility if the commonwealth does not adequately fund programs through which they deliver services to their citizens. Counties would have to balance their budgets with a combination of property tax increases and deep service cutbacks.

The nonpartisan County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has already encouraged the state’s 67 counties to adopt resolutions urging state lawmakers to enact a 2009-10 state budget that maintains funding for fundamental government services and does not shift costs to the local level. To date, at least 40 counties have passed such resolutions.

Counties simply cannot take the hit for all the services provided to some of the most vulnerable members of our society, such as abused and neglected children, as well as funding for the judiciary, law enforcement, economic development, transportation infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, environmental protection and more.

In May, commissioners from several counties testified before the House Appropriations Committee and trashed Senate Bill 850, a Republican plan that makes devastating cuts to line items that pay for those county programs. Commissioners argued that SB 850 does not avoid tax increases, but merely shifts them to the local level. Because many of the programs they administer are entitlements, they would have no choice but to provide those services regardless of the funding they receive from the state.

Rendell has already implemented or proposed $2 billion in spending cuts. With state revenues severely impacted by the national recession and with economists expressing little hope of a significant upturn in the near future, the governor has asked for a temporary .5 percent increase in the personal income tax, from 3.07 to 3.57. He has also asked for a delay in the scheduled reduction of the capital stock and franchise tax paid by businesses, and for other narrow levies on tobacco products and natural gas drilling.

C’mon, everyone. Let’s get this done.

June 27, 2009 at 9:20 am

--Abe Amoros

Tags: Budget, Ed Rendell

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