Counties feel the squeeze

Article Photos

Editor's note:?"Cutting to the Core"?is a five-part series examining the effect the 2009-2010 Pennsylvania budget debate could have on the residents of Mifflin and Juniata counties. Today's articles examine local government and agriculture.

LEWISTOWN - Cut services or raise taxes.

Those are two daunting choices the commissioners of Mifflin and Juniata counties may have to tackle head-on later this year if word of possible cuts in state funding turns out to be true.

As lawmakers in Harrisburg continue to do battle over a 2009-2010 spending plan that still faces a $3-billion shortfall, the commissioners are dealing with reports that the counties may see funding cuts for many programs that are mandated by the state. Mifflin County Commission Chair Mark Sunderland said he has heard the possibility of funding cuts for areas such as human services, the judiciary, public safety, community and economic development, the environment and the highly important Pennsylvania industries of tourism and agriculture.

In order to continue providing services currently being rendered in those areas, tax increases would have to be implemented, something Sunderland and fellow Mifflin County Commissioners Otis Riden and Robert Reck say they are not in favor of doing.

"The more you raise taxes increases the number of people who are unable to pay them," Sunderland pointed out. "It's a domino effect."

Instead, Sunderland and his colleagues say they believe the state House and Senate need to sit down across the aisle together and hammer out a spending plan that is fair to all and not tax-heavy on local municipalities.

In fact, during their June 11 workshop meeting, the commissioners announced they would adopt a resolution urging state legislators to create "a responsible 2009-10 budget that maintains funding for core government services and does not shift costs to the local level."

The Juniata County Commissioners adopted a similar resolution on June 9.

"The state needs to live up to its responsibilities," Juniata County Commission Chairman Jeffrey Zimmerman said. "A budget that does not fund their mandates is irresponsible."

Fellow commissioners Dale Shelley and Teresa O'Neal said the impact of budget cuts could be even bigger for their county

"In small counties like Juniata County, it's devastating. We still have to provide the services with limited staff," Shelley said. "In bigger counties, it's not so bad. They (the state legislators) need to quit mandating services, because taxpayers can only pay so much."

O'Neal said when funding for mandated programs is cut by the state, the only direction the commissioners can turn is to the taxpayers.

Zimmerman said he hopes the resolution will have a positive effect in Harrisburg.

All of the commonwealth's 67 counties have been encouraged by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania to adopt similar resolutions and pass them on to lawmakers in Harrisburg, Sunderland said.

"This resolution is statewide," he said. "Every county is going to do it."

The resolution points out the fact that the final state budget will have a widespread impact on the overall financial standing of both counties when they prepare their next budgets. It also notes a recent bill passed by the Republican-led Senate with "devastating cuts to core government services, including mandated and entitlement services that must be provided regardless of available funding from the state."

Of course, with negotiations continuing in Harrisburg, Sunderland said the most frustrating thing is waiting to see what the final deliberations will bring.

"We don't know how much (possible funding cuts there will be) yet. Nothing's been finalized," he said. "I do know this, however. Being that we are a rural county, it doesn't take a massive cut in dollars to influence us greatly."

Sunderland said he and his fellow commissioners do have meetings planned with several county departments this week to review numbers and plan ahead, depending on the final outcome in Harrisburg.

"We're just going to have to wait to hear what cuts will hit us here in the county, and which services will be affected. Then we'll have to go from there," he said. "At this point in time, we're not raising taxes this year. The budget is done. We're fine. This is for '09-10 starting in July."

When asked if the proposed cuts are even deeper than early reports are indicating, Sunderland shrugged.

"Our options are to raise taxes or cut services. I would imagine services would be cut before we have to raise taxes on the backs of Mifflin County's citizens - at least that's my position on the matter," he said, with colleagues Riden and Reck nodding in agreement.

Sentinel reporter Micaiah Wise Bilger contributed to this article.