Number 9
April 29, 2016

www.pacounties.org

LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

An e-newsletter of the County Commissioners

Association of Pennsylvania

The Voice of Pennsylvania Counties Since 1886

In This Issue

FY 2015-2016 Budget Process Ends as FY 2016-2017 Process Begins

Hotel Tax Updates Become Law

Report on Homelessness Released

CCAP Resolutions Process

Commissioners at the Polls

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FY 2015-2016 BUDGET PROCESS ENDS AS FY 2016-2017

The FY 2015-2016 budget process officially concluded on April 24, after Gov. Wolf allowed HB 1589, amendments to the Fiscal Code implementing the appropriations bills, to become law without his signature.

House Bill 1589 was originally intended to comprise only the language to which the Governor had not previously objected in his previous veto message of HB 1327; that is, omitting the school funding formula and environmental regulatory language, both of which he felt were inappropriate for the bill. However, as HB 1589 was under legislative consideration, Gov. Wolf announced his intent to distribute school funding dollars absent a statutory formula, prompting amendments to add the school funding formula language as well as the language providing for school construction reimbursement that had been in HB 1327. House and Senate votes on those amendments were approved by the 2/3 threshold that would have been necessary to override a veto had the Governor chosen to do so.

For counties, the Fiscal Code amendments, now Act 25 of 2016, also include the necessary language to assure county receipt of their fourth quarter children and youth payments in the event of another budget impasse; under the rebalancing initiative those funds are to be appropriated with the FY 2016-2017 budget. Prior vetoes of Fiscal Code bills had created uncertainty regarding the fourth quarter payments, and thus uncertainty both for Act 30 planning purposes and for delivery of children and youth services. Act 25 also creates a natural gas infrastructure development fund to grow the market by expanding end-user access, with grants available to local governments as well as hospitals, businesses and economic development organizations. The program uses $12 million from the High Performance Green Building Program to provide funding.

With FY 2015-2016 now complete, attention turns to the FY 2016-2017 process. House Appropriations Chair Bill Adolph (R-Delaware) has announced that the House will begin moving a FY 2016-2017 budget bill, HB 1999, through the legislative process on May 2. As introduced, the bill contains line items representing the FY 2015-2016 allocation as a placeholder while negotiations among legislative leaders and the Governor continue, and does not reflect any legislative budget proposal at this time. House members have been invited to offer amendments to be debated on the House floor the first week of May, although none of the amendments that have been filed contain a comprehensive proposal but instead reflect an opportunity for legislators to discuss specific line items of individual interest.

Counties continue to share with legislators and the administration the need for a timely FY 2016-2017 budget that provides adequate funding for human services programs that have been the subject of cuts and flat funding for many years. In particular, as a priority for 2016, counties support the inclusion of the Governor's proposed three-year restoration of the $86 million cut in FY 2012-2013 across seven key human services line items. The restoration, with the first two years' increase represented at a level of $56 million in FY 2016-2017, is critical to address historic underfunding patterns.

HOTEL TAX UPDATES BECOME LAW

Gov. Wolf has signed HB 794, updating the County Code to increase the current hotel room rental tax authorization to five percent, into law as Act 18 of 2016. The new law represents several years of discussions and negotiations among CCAP and tourism industry stakeholders, with the intent to provide better uniformity in the levy and to meet increased local needs to attract and promote travel and tourism for the benefit of local economies. While originally applicable only to third to eight class counties, the bill, authored by Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York), was amended to expand its provisions to second class A counties.

Act 18 takes effect immediately. CCAP has provided a summary of the law's provisions that can be found on www.pacounties.org on the Legislative Action Center under Hotel Tax.

REPORT ON HOMELESSNESS RELEASED

The Joint State Government Commission has released a comprehensive report on the impacts of homelessness on various populations and recommendations for ending homelessness, as required by House Resolution 550 of 2014.

An advisory committee assisted the Commission in conducting extensive research, which included a survey of people utilizing housing services throughout the state. Lack of affordable housing was identified as an overarching cause of homelessness, although the report also examined links to those leaving the correctional system, individuals with mental health or substance abuse disorders, and victims of domestic violence. A higher level of homelessness was found among veterans as well as children and youth, for whom the numbers have reached historic highs. The report also looked at the differences between urban and rural homelessness, noting that the latter has its own unique barriers to accessing and providing homeless services.

Several recommendations are offered in the report, highlighting the complexity of homelessness and the need for joint state, federal, and local efforts to address the issue's many different perspectives. Housing stability is identified as a key to long-term recovery, including expanded opportunities for affordable housing and prevention strategies.

CCAP RESOLUTIONS PROCESS

Throughout the month of June CCAP policy committees will be holding their annual conference call meetings to consider resolutions amending the PA County Platform, in anticipation of a membership discussion and vote in conjunction with the CCAP Annual Conference in early August. County officials are encouraged to begin reviewing the Platform now and to send any proposed resolutions to Government Relations staff at PACountiesGR@pacounties.org, or to discuss them with CCAP policy committee chairs.

COMMISSIONERS AT THE POLLS

A number of current and former CCAP members appeared on the April 2016 primary election ballot, seeking state or federal office. Complete election results are on the Department of State web page, www.dos.state.pa.us.

Attorney General

Montgomery County commissioner Josh Shapiro won a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for the open Attorney General seat.

Auditor General

John Brown, Northampton County executive, was unopposed in his bid for the Republican nomination, and will face incumbent Eugene DePasquale in the fall.

Congress

Ryan Costello (R(), 6th district Congressman and former Chester County commissioner, was unopposed for nomination. Northampton County council member Glenn Geissinger was unsuccessful in his bid for the Republican nomination in the 17th Congressional district to challenge incumbent Matt Cartwright (D) in the fall. In the 8th district, former Bucks County commissioner Andrew Warren (R) lost his bid for the seat being vacated by Michael Fitzpatrick (R), also a former Bucks County commissioner.

PA Senate

State representative and former Delaware County council member Tom Killion (R) won the special election for the vacant 9th District seat, and was unopposed for the Republican nomination for the same seat in the fall election. Former Lancaster County commissioner and CCAP Board member Scott Martin won a contested nomination in the 13th district for an open seat. Judy Schwank, former Berks County commissioner, and Andrew Dinniman, former Chester County commissioner, were both unopposed for the Democratic nominations for the 11th and 19th district seats they respectively hold. In addition, Gene Yaw, former Lycoming County solicitor and incumbent in the 23rd district, and Kim Ward, former Westmoreland County commissioner and incumbent in the 39th district, won uncontested races for nomination, and are uncontested in the fall.

PA House

Former Erie clerk to council Flo Fabrizio (D) was unopposed in the primary and general elections for reelection to his 2nd district seat, as was former Mercer County solicitor Mark Longietti (D) in the 7th. Former Beaver County commissioner Dennis Nichols was unsuccessful in his bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Jim Christiana in the 15th district. In the 50th district, incumbent and former Greene County commissioner and CCAP second vice president Pam Snyder (D) was unopposed for nomination, while incumbent and former Clarion County commissioner Donna Oberlander (R) was unopposed for nomination and is unopposed in the fall in the 63rd.

Incumbent and former Centre County commissioner Scott Conklin (D) was unopposed in the primary and general election for his 77th district House seat, as was former Lycoming County commissioner and CCAP Board member Jeff Wheeland (R) in the 83rd district. Incumbent and former Perry County commissioner and CCAP past president Mark Keller (R) faced no opposition in the primary or the fall election in his 86th district seat. Former Dauphin County commissioner John Payne (R) chose not to run again for his 106th district seat.

In the 107th district, incumbent and former Northumberland County commissioner Kurt Masser (R) was unopposed in the primary, and incumbent and former Bradford County commissioner Tina Pickett (R) was uncontested in both the primary and the fall election. Wayne County commissioner Jonathan Fritz won a contested Republican primary race for the open seat in the 111th district that also included Susquehanna County commissioner Alan Hall; Fritz is unopposed in the fall election. Former Schuylkill County commissioner Jerry Knowles was unopposed for the Republican nomination for reelection to his 124th district seat, and has no fall opposition. Former clerk to Lehigh County council Steve Samuelson (D) was unopposed in the primary and faces no opposition in the fall in his 135th district seat.

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