County leaders frustrated by budget delay

Pennsylvania’s county leaders are expressing their frustration with the state’s budget impasse and its mounting financial and social ramifications.

Pennsylvania’s county leaders are expressing their frustration with the state’s budget impasse and its mounting financial and social ramifications. the annual conference of county commissioners, wrapped up Wednesday.

Listen:
[audio: 090812lfcommish.mp3]

Terence Farrell is Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Chester County. He says like him, other county leaders are frustrated that state lawmakers have not been able to reach consenus on the budget.

Farrell: We get 41% of our revenues from state and federal grants, primarily for human services, some economic development. Right now for human services we’re advancing money in anticipation that at some point a budget will actually get passed. We are advancing with the caveat that we don’t want to go too far because we don’t know what the numbers are going to be for the state’s budget.

Farrell says if the budget impasse continues or the new budget doesn’t provide enough money, Chester County will have to look at other ways to save money including across the board department cuts.