No DA funding in budget plan
Counties may be forced to foot total billBy Jessica VanderKolk, jvanderkolk@altoonamirror.com
In a time when government officials have tried to reduce property taxes, counties may have no choice but to raise them if state lawmakers can't work into the budget about $7 million to help fund full-time district attorneys.
A 2005 state law allowed district attorneys in 40 counties - including Blair, Bedford, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Indiana and Somerset - who were working part time to choose whether to move to full-time status.
Previously, county commissioners decided whether the position was full or part time.
In the six smallest counties, certain conditions had to be met for the DA to be full time.
Under the law, the state reimburses the county 65 percent of a full-time DA's salary.
However, funding to reimburse counties wasn't included in this year's 2008-09 budget negotiations, leaving about a $100,000 gap that counties must pick up unless a change is made before the spending plan is passed.
Under Act 57 of 2005, full-time district attorneys are to be paid $1,000 less than a county judge. That puts the 2008 salary for district attorneys at $156,441.
Bedford County Commissioners Chairman Michael Herline said he doesn't have a problem staffing a full-time district attorney but doesn't appreciate an unfunded mandate from the state.
''Needless to say, we have to go to the taxpayers of the county and have them pay that burden,'' he said. ''I don't think any of the commissioners would approve of it and it just isn't fair.
Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority agreed the property tax is ''pretty much the only place we could go'' to fund the shortfall in District Attorney Richard Consiglio's salary.
''If it's not there, that's terribly distressing to counties,'' she said. ''They got the legislation passed, and the promise was the state would pick up the bulk of the salary and the county would have a net savings. Their intent was that there be a dedicated funding stream for that purpose. Here we are, three to four years later, and they still haven't found that dedicated funding stream.
Chuck Ardo, press secretary for Gov. Ed Rendell, pointed the finger at lawmakers to find that funding source and said time is up for the money to come out of the general budget.
''When the governor first signed the bill, there was an understanding that the legislature would identify a dedicated source of funding for this provision,'' Ardo said. ''Thus far, they have failed to do so, and the governor is anxious for the legislature to do what it had intended to do.
Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr., R-Blair, who was a county commissioner when the law took effect, said he brought up the funding obligation in the Senate this year but was told it did not end up in the budget deal agreed upon by leadership. He thinks the provision is not likely to make it into the budget at this point.
''It's a major concern because I understand. I was there trying to find the money to balance the budget at the courthouse for 11 years, he said.
Douglas Hill, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said the state also owes counties some of the 65 percent reimbursement from the last two years, when funding wasn't sufficient.
''I doubt that many counties have that much money sitting in the reserve for that purpose,'' he said. ''It's also a breach of trust. They are essentially voting for a property tax increase. They can claim they didn't increase taxes at the state level, but this has an effect on taxpayers."
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marasmom28
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07-05-08 10:36 PM
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Klaus you couldn't be more right, he is an idiot!
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KlausVR
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07-03-08 9:46 PM
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Blrwtch - you are a Forking idiot. Blair County has cases backed up the wazoo, prisoners being set free until their trial dates ... WTF!
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orlandobob
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07-03-08 8:57 PM
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call edger Shieder
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Blrwtch
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07-03-08 9:09 AM
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Let them work for 7 bucks an hour like some of the sheriffs and other civil service workers do...If their jobs are so important they shouldn't mind, it would save money for their "beloved PA".
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