Pennsylvania Counties Seek Action to End State Budget Impasse and Prevent Future Harm

Text of Motion Made by Jeff Haste, Chair of the CCAP Board

CCAP Fall Conference, Hershey
November 23, 2015
At Saturdays CCAP Board meeting, the members expressed what I am sure is the sentiment of
everyone in this room one of profound frustration that this budget stalemate has gone on long enough;
that counties have to the best of their ability kept critical services available, but that those who provide
services on our behalf; and most importantly those who receive those services children, seniors, and
many of the other most vulnerable in our communities are suffering from the lack of action here in
Harrisburg. The Governor and legislature do not fully understand the scope and the nature of the harm
and they do not seem to share our view of the crisis in services. The clear sentiment of our Board, and of
many of you we have talked to in the last two days, is that this must end, that our counties and those
vulnerable citizens we represent and our local taxpayers must be made whole, and that this must never
never happen again.
Mr. President, I feel that it is incumbent on the counties, who are continuing to provide services to the
most vulnerable populations within the commonwealth despite the failure of the administration and
legislature to agree on a budget that authorizes essential funding for these key programs, to explore their
legal options to bring the current budget impasse to an end and to prevent future threats to key human
service programs provided at the county level.
To that end, I hereby make a motion authorizing the Associations legal counsel to research the potential
basis for litigation against the commonwealth related to the impasse. Specifically, we want to explore
requiring the release of commonwealth and federal funds for our essential services, in the same manner
that the state has used funds collected over the last five months for its own services. And second, failing
that, this motion also authorizes Association counsel to investigate the legal ramifications to counties
and county officials of ceasing to remit funds collected on the states behalf at the county level during an
impasse and allowing those funds to be used to fund essential local services.
Mr. President, I believe the services we provide for mental health, intellectual disability, drug and
alcohol, older adult protective services, and especially child protective services are every bit as essential
as any service provided by the commonwealth. I believe that the commonwealths continued collection
of state taxes, and collection of Federal pass-through revenues, without forwarding them on through to
those in critical need, who we serve, is unconscionable. If we are truly partners with the commonwealth
in service delivery, then our needs, our constituents needs, and our taxpayers needs should be
considered on the same terms as the commonwealth.