The big topic on ‘Ask The Commissioners’ this morning was the 2019 budget, which the commissioners adopted last week. The budget was balanced without a tax increase, but the decision wasn’t unanimous. Commissioner Sandie Egley voted against the $210 million budget, as she did its draft earlier this month…and this morning, she explained why:

We’re in the black again in this budget. Egley and Amadio were both asked to talk about that the key factors that made it so that we could operate in the black this year….

 

Amadio says the county has been able to end each year with a surplus…

The budget included a deferment of $1 million of the county’s subsidy to the Community College of Beaver County. Both Amadio and Egley were asked where that idea came from…

Commissioner Dan Camp was unable to attend ‘Ask The Commissioners’ due to a an appointment.

The budget includes estimations for wage and health-care increases for six of the county’s nine collective-bargaining units. Those negotiations are ongoing and won’t be settled until next year.