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COUNTIES UNVEIL 2013 PRIORITIES
On January 23, the Association's leadership gathered in Harrisburg to unveil a list of nine county government priorities for 2013 that call on state lawmakers to give counties the tools to provide efficient delivery of important services to state residents. The announcement, delivered in a Capitol media event, was accompanied by a meeting with the Lt. Governor that included detailed review of the priorities.
The counties' top priority is human services system funding and further system reform, highlighting the serious consequences of underfunding for human services in the commonwealth budget over the past decade and the need to halt or reverse the trend. County leaders, citing the Human Services Block Grant Pilot and a collaborative administrative review effort with the Department of Public Welfare (DPW), noted that the partnership with state leaders has resulted in progress in several areas over the past year, and emphasized the need to continue developing innovative ideas.
The 2013 priorities reflect counties' commitment to improving county governance and to ensuring they can continue to provide a full spectrum of services to the Commonwealth's citizens. Rounding out the list of priorities are assessment reform, funding and modernization solutions for transportation and infrastructure, maintaining and improving 911 services, improving support systems for inmates with mental health and substance abuse issues, continuing to address impacts of shale gas drilling, reforming state prevailing wage requirements, restoring the county recycling fee and requiring accreditation of county veterans affairs directors.
More information about the counties' priorities is available at www.pacounties.org by clicking on "2013
Legislative Priorities" under Legislative Quick Links. |
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HEARING HELD ON CHILD PROTECTION TASK FORCE REPORT
On Jan. 22, the House Children and Youth and House Judiciary committees held a joint hearing to officially accept and review the report of the Task Force on Child Protection. Over the past year, the Task Force has been reviewing state laws and procedures governing child protection and the reporting of child abuse, with the final report released on Nov. 27.
Several members of the Task Force presented at the hearing, highlighting the report's call for culture change regarding child abuse, part of which is education and part of which is building laws to protect children. The recommendations in the report call for a significant rewrite of the state's Child Services Protective Law, which would mean operational changes for county children and youth agencies as well as law enforcement, mandated reporters, schools and others.
The Task Force members noted that statutory child physical abuse definitions have been problematic for many years, recommending that they be amended to eliminate the requirement that a child suffer severe pain, and to replace the term "non-accidental" behavior with "reckless and intentional" behavior. The intent is to hold all perpetrators accountable and reinstall confidence in the system, although it was noted such an expansion would also be likely to increase the number of referrals received and investigations required by both county children and youth and by district attorneys.
Task Force member Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler led a discussion of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC), which he called a logical extension of the multi-disciplinary teams required in every county, although they do not exist in some smaller counties with limited resources. A CAC adds a different perspective to the existing teams of children and youth workers and law enforcement officials by adding individuals from other disciplines.
The Task Force members recommended additional training for children and youth workers, and cited the difficulties of the job and high turnover rates. In addition, the members discussed a recommendation for a standard, statewide system where all reports and records can be maintained to make meaningful intervention more achievable.
Legislators have pledged to move quickly on a number of the Task Force's recommendations. CCAP and the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators (PCYA) are working with the General Assembly and other stakeholder groups in evaluating the Task Force recommendations and potential statutory, regulatory and policy changes. |
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GOV. CORBETT BUDGET ADDRESS SET FOR FEBRUARY 5
In an address to a joint session of the PA House and Senate on Tuesday, February 5, Gov. Corbett will offer his budget proposal for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
The Governor recently announced that his 2013-2014 budget will set aside nearly $20 million to provide home and community-based services for approximately 1,200 Pennsylvania adults with intellectual disabilities, intended to reduce existing waiting lists. Additionally, he discussed some elements of his agriculture budget proposal at the Public Officials' Luncheon during the state Farm Show in early January, including maintenance of $2 million for county fairs, funding for farmland preservation, and inclusion of funding for agriculture research through Penn State. As part of his budget address, the Governor is also expected to unveil his transportation funding proposal.
Prior to the address, CCAP will be providing members with information on where to view the budget address and how to obtain copies of Gov. Corbett's remarks and budget proposal. More information will also be available on the CCAP Budget News and Updates page. |
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P3 BOARD APPROVES GUIDELINES
The Pennsylvania Public Private Partnership (P3) Transportation Board approved an implementation manual and guidelines at its first meeting on Jan. 9, setting forth the procedures for solicitation, development and implementation of eligible public-private projects under Act 88 of 2012. Act 88 allows state and municipal authorities to enter into contracts for transportation projects, such as improvements to existing or new roads, bridges, tunnels, public transportation facilities and other projects, that transfer the rights for use or control of transportation facilities to public or private development entities.
The Board indicated that unsolicited proposals for commonwealth projects will be accepted by the P3 Office and the P3 Transportation Board May 1 through 31 and October 1 through 31, 2013. Non-commonwealth entities, including municipal authorities, may establish their own schedule of opportunities for the private sector to submit proposals.
A copy of the manual is available on the PennDOT web page, www.dot.state.pa.us, by clicking "P3 Information" on the right side of the page. |
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SENATE COMMITTEE ADVANCES STEB LEGISLATION
Legislation to complete the transfer of the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is moving quickly. Transfer of the agency was funded in the 2012-2013 budget, but legislation to complete the transfer (SB 1546) died at the end of the last session. In the interim, STEB is operating under DCED through a memorandum of understanding.
The legislation, SB 66 sponsored by Sen. John Gordner (R-Columbia), was reported from the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee on January 23, with technical amendment, and is now on the Senate floor.
In addition to transferring STEB and its historical functions to DCED jurisdiction, the bill expands STEB duties to include development of an assessment operations and training manual and training programs for county assessors, development and maintenance of a centralized property valuation database (accompanied by mandatory electronic reporting by assessment offices), and development of standards on contracting for assessment services including public disclosure of the methodology used to value property. STEB would be required to consult with CCAP and its affiliate Assessors Association of Pennsylvania (AAP) in development of the manual, training, and contract standards.
STEB would also be required to perform a data review when its calculations show a change of more than 10 percent in a county's common level ratio, and would be required to publish and annually update information on the formulas and data standards it uses to compute the common level ratio and other measures of assessment values.
The changes implement several of the recommendations included in the 2010 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report on assessment practice, and are elements of CCAP's 2013 assessment reform priority. |
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HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE MOVES BILL
The House Local Government Committee held its first meeting of the 2013-2014 session on Jan. 23. The committee unanimously approved HB 163, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre), which amends the County Code to eliminate the requirement that a county advancing from fifth to fourth class, as the result of a decennial census, split the combined office of prothonotary and clerk of courts in two. Instead, the commissioners could adopt a resolution maintaining a combined office. Rep. Benninghoff noted this would offer flexibility to counties that feel they have been ably served by one person filling both positions, and could save expenditure of additional taxpayer dollars. House Bill 163 now moves to the full House for consideration.
The committee was also scheduled to consider HB 161 (Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams), which would require county assessors, when establishing the value of a mobile home or house trailer, to consider the value in a national directory or valuation guide, as well as any depreciation. CCAP, in conjunction with several assessors, noted implications on the uniformity, fairness and equity of the assessment system, and committee chair Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) withdrew the bill from consideration so that work could be done to address those issues. |
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