Leaders of Pa. counties congregate to share fiscal strategies

County commissioners from across Pennsylvania will have a chance to swap ideas on how to stretch a dollar at a fall conference.

 

The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania may not be sweating any kind of fiscal cliff, but big spending decisions are due soon. Counties must submit budget proposals by the end of the month, and final spending plans must be adopted by the end of the year.

Doug Hill, the association’s executive director, says making spending decisions is never easy, but this going to be another tough budget season.

“Most of the counties have already put budgets on the table that either propose either significant cuts or tax increases or a mix,” Hill said.

Hill says the real purpose of the county commissioners’ get-together, which begins Monday, is to share ideas on how to make cuts and raise taxes in the smartest way.

Counties will also have a chance to learn more about the package of prison reforms passed this year by the General Assembly. The changes aim to bring down the state’s inmate population by keeping more of them in county prisons and locally run rehabilitation programs.