The FY 2012-2013 budget cut for the county portion of the MH Base will be a full 10 percent reduction.The 7.7 percent reduction noted in previous communications from CCAP and shown in budget documents is the amount of the cut to the full line item, which also includes state hospital funding. Although in previous years there have been proportionate cuts to both the county and state hospital portion of the line item, for FY 2012-2013 the implementation of the cut will result in a 10 percent reduction to the MH Base funds allocated to counties. The 10 percent reduction will be applied against the amount the county received in FY 2011-2012 prior to the budget freeze. The MH Base allocation letters are expected to be sent to counties by the end of August.

Intellectual Disability base allocations have gone through all the necessary approval processes and should be out to counties by the end of August as well. A ten percent reduction will also be applied to the base funds allocated to counties for ID prior to the midyear FY 2011-2012 budget freeze of five percent. The number of surveys counties are required to do for IM4Q will be reduced by ten percent. CCAP continues to advocate the need to reduce administrative entity responsibilities to offset the ten percent cut, which will also impact waiver administration.   

(Submitted by the CCAP Assessment and Taxation Committee) - The Association strongly supports action by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to relieve the burden of inequitable local property tax as the principal means of finance for our counties by granting counties broader-based and fairer taxing options, in addition to real estate tax, that include the following elements:

1. Participation at the discretion of county government;
2. Authorization for a county to levy a county income tax of up to 1%, on the state personal income tax base;
3. Extend to counties the authority to levy a county earned income tax of up to 1%.
4. Authorization for a county to levy a county sales tax of up to 1%, on the same base as the state sales tax;
5. Implementation by action of the county governing body, without referendum;
6. Provisions to require a county that adopts a new tax base or bases to reduce or repeal existing taxes to assure taxpayers that the result will be revenue neutral; and
7. Inclusion of language permitting counties not to implement any new state mandate that is not accompanied by state funding.

The resolution restates the Association's position on county tax base alternatives, adding authorization for an earned income tax levy on the same basis as the authority currently available to municipalities. It provides for revenue neutrality, compared to a prior version that had anti-windfall provisions.

(Submitted by the CCAP County Governance Committee) - The Association, recognizing the increased standards for accounting and reporting required by the County Code and by GASB standards, supports an amendment to the County Code to give counties the local option, when selecting a Certified Public Accountant to perform the necessary and required audits of the counties' fiscal affairs, and upon determination that comprehensive fiscal controls meeting generally accepted standards are in place, to abolish the office of elected auditor.

The resolution replaces a Platform plank written comparably to language now in the Second Class Township Code, which removes the elected auditors from the audit function while allowing them to retain other statutory duties (establishment of supervisor salaries, e.g.). The change deletes this standard and calls simply for permitting commissioners to abolish the office of elected auditor.  

(Submitted by the CCAP County Governance Committee) - The Association supports legislation authorizing the county court of common pleas to make appointments to fill vacancies in row offices, from the same party from which elected.

The change deletes a reference to MDJs and uses the current Code provisions on appointment by the court as well as the "party from which elected" standard that are applied in commissioner vacancies.

(Submitted by the CCAP County Governance Committee) - The Association supports an amendment to the County Code to permit counties to provide a limited bid preference for local or domestic suppliers or contractors, and to permit counties to include Buy American provisions in bid specifications.

The resolutions consolidates two prior bid preference resolutions.

(Submitted by the CCAP County Governance Committee) - The Association supports implementation of voter identification requirements in a manner which results in the greatest possible access for qualified electors, which will require close cooperation with the Department of State, clear and detailed information for county election directors and voters on requirements and rights, prompt and uniform response to legal and practical questions, broad multimedia dissemination of information on ID requirements and how to obtain ID, uniform rules on what qualifies as ID, uniform and detailed training of poll workers, and access to data to assist county election offices in identifying registered voters who lack ID.