Chesco commissioners wallop state in wallet

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on December 3, 2015

Enough is enough. That was the sentiment of the Chester County Commissioners when they announced at their meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, that they will immediately cease remitting funds collected by county row offices on behalf of the state for the duration of the state budget impasse – a sum that averages $4 million a month.

Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline (from left), Terence Farrell and Kathi Cozzone say the county will withhold funds collected by its row offices that are remitted to the state until the budget impasse ends. — Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline (from left), Terence Farrell, and Kathi Cozzone say the county will withhold funds collected by its row offices for the state – about $4 million a month – until the budget impasse ends.

In a prepared statement signed by all three commissioners, they said they believed their drastic action, a decision not taken lightly, represented the best interests of the public.

“As commissioners, we are vested with the responsibility for the management and administration of county fiscal affairs,” the statement said. “Inherent to this legal obligation, we must likewise assure that Chester County citizens, who require county services, continue to receive those services, especially those that are in dire need such as children, senior citizens, the ‘at risk’ and those with disabilities.”

The move follows a similar announcement on Friday from the Bucks County Commissioners. Several weeks ago, frustration echoed at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP), which passed a motion authorizing its legal counsel to research the potential basis for litigation against the commonwealth related to the impasse. It said that counties had done their best to make critical services available but that the governor and legislature do not seem to understand the enormity of the financial crisis they have caused.

The Chester County Commissioners said they have a commitment to employees and taxpayers to “keep the lights on” and operate the county government in spite of the lack of state funding. They said they appreciated the fact that the county’s row office officials share that view and have partnered to withhold funds designated for remittance to the state.

The commissioners said they also authorized their solicitor to “investigate any legal recourse the county may have against the Commonwealth for its failure to provide requisite county funding and any ramifications for utilizing retained funds for expenditures which would at this point be ‘emergency’ funding for critical essential services.”