Post by Logan on Mar 14, 2016 19:34:14 GMT -6
HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf warned Pennsylvania’s county commissioners on Monday that they will get stuck with higher human services costs and more difficult decisions if the Republican-controlled Legislature refuses to raise taxes.
Mr. Wolf told several hundred county officials attending an association conference in Harrisburg that they will be “left holding the bag” if lawmakers do not fix a long-term deficit and pay for services they say they want but are not willing to adequately subsidize.
Without a tax increase, Mr. Wolf said, state government will continue pushing more costs to counties, such as for mental health and substance abuse programs, and covering its deficit with one-time stopgaps.
“We will continue to pay our bills late, if we pay them at all,” Wolf told commissioners. “However we will require in the sacred name of local control that you continue to do the things that we should have done for ourselves here in Harrisburg, and this of course means we’ll want you to pay for these things.”
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2016/03/14/Pennsylvania-Governor-Tom-Wolf-Counties-will-get-the-bill-if-state-skips-tax-increase/stories/201603140167
Mr. Wolf told several hundred county officials attending an association conference in Harrisburg that they will be “left holding the bag” if lawmakers do not fix a long-term deficit and pay for services they say they want but are not willing to adequately subsidize.
Without a tax increase, Mr. Wolf said, state government will continue pushing more costs to counties, such as for mental health and substance abuse programs, and covering its deficit with one-time stopgaps.
“We will continue to pay our bills late, if we pay them at all,” Wolf told commissioners. “However we will require in the sacred name of local control that you continue to do the things that we should have done for ourselves here in Harrisburg, and this of course means we’ll want you to pay for these things.”
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2016/03/14/Pennsylvania-Governor-Tom-Wolf-Counties-will-get-the-bill-if-state-skips-tax-increase/stories/201603140167