Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor released a performance audit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which found it continues to face significant challenges to meet its financial obligations putting the burden on travelers.

“Today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has more debt than the entire state government of Pennsylvania, and the only way to pay it is to raise tolls,” DeFoor said. “This is an unsustainable situation which highlights the need for innovative ideas and different solutions to rectify an issue that is decades in the making. The Turnpike Commission didn’t get into this situation by itself. The legislature and executive branch need to work together now to ensure the Turnpike is financially viable for the future.”

The audit has three findings and 23 recommendations for improvements. The performance audit covers the time from June 1, 2018, through June 13, 2022.

(HARRISBURG, PA) Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor released a performance audit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which found it continues to face significant challenges to meet its financial obligations putting the burden on travelers.
“Today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has more debt than the entire state government of Pennsylvania, and the only way to pay it is to raise tolls,” DeFoor said. “This is an unsustainable situation which highlights the need for innovative ideas and different solutions to rectify an issue that is decades in the making. The Turnpike Commission didn’t get into this situation by itself. The legislature and executive branch need to work together now to ensure the Turnpike is financially viable for the future.”
The audit has three findings and 23 recommendations for improvements. The performance audit covers the time from June 1, 2018, through June 13, 2022.

• Finding 1: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission continues to face significant challenges to raise toll revenue to make future payments to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) under the current Act 44/89 financial structure, its associated debt payments and expenditures for capital projects.

• Finding 2: Uncollected tolls have continued to increase and therefore, the Commission must continue to seek new ways to collect tolls due from both in and out-of-state travelers.

• Finding 3: The anti-discrimination language in the Commission’s contracts for amenities provided to its customers at service plazas is outdated and lacking content.

“We need to work at finding a solution that will make sure the Turnpike continues to provide an invaluable service to all who travel through Pennsylvania, without it being a financial burden,” DeFoor said. “We recommend the General Assembly take another look at Acts 44 and 89 and consider drafting new legislation to mitigate the current debt burden placed on the Commission.”
In Finding 1, auditors found the Commission’s ability to make its projected debt payments depends on usage, continuing to recover from the effects of the pandemic, incurring less debt and continuing to make positive adjustments to minimize expenses. It also found that annual toll increases continue to place an undue burden on Turnpike travelers. Auditors had five recommendations for the Commission
and two for the General Assembly to reduce operating costs, address debt and attempt to take the financial burden off travelers.
In Finding 2, auditors found almost a quarter of uncollected tolls were because of unpaid invoices, unidentified license plates or because PennDOT either had the wrong address or no address at all. As a result, $104.9 million remains as uncollected Commission revenue. Auditors highlighted 11 recommendations to improve collections that includes looking at more consistent enforcement, for PennDOT to determine the cause of missing addresses or undeliverable mail and working with the
legislature to close the loopholes in current laws.
In Finding 3, auditors concluded the Commission’s anti-discrimination language in its contracts for service plaza vendors is outdated and lacking content. There were five recommendations to address this finding, including looking at contract language and posting signage for travelers to report discrimination complaints.
The Commission is in general agreement with Findings 1 and 2, and although it disagreed with recommendations related to amending contract language in Finding 3, it generally agreed with the auditors’ recommendations regarding posting customer complaint signage and establishing policies or procedures to monitor lessees’ compliance with contract non-discrimination requirements.
The Department of Auditor General is legally mandated to audit the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission every four years. It also is required by law to audit volunteer fire relief associations and municipal pension plans that receive state aid through the department; liquid fuels tax usage by municipalities; various county offices and numerous other state government entities.
To read the full audit report visit www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports

FILE – In this Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 file photo, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visits the new headquarters of the Royal Philatelic society in London. Britain is marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 94th birthday, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, with silence, as the nation in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic forgoes the usual gun salutes and ringing of bells. With thousands dead, the monarch decided that the celebratory display of military firepower would not be “appropriate.’’ Nor will there be a celebratory peal of bells from Westminster Abbey, as the church where the queen was married and crowned is currently closed. (Tolga Akmen/Pool via AP, File)

By DANICA KIRKA, JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has XXXX. She was 96. Elizabeth spent more than seven decades on the throne as the U.K. rebuilt from war, lost an empire, transformed its economy and both entered and left the European Union. She was a constant presence, the only monarch most Britons have ever known, and she guided the institution of the monarchy through choppy waters. She likely met more people than anyone in history, and her image, which adorned stamps, coins and bank notes, was among the most reproduced in the world. But her inner life and opinions remained largely an enigma. The impact of her loss will be huge, and unpredictable.

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Jim Riggio from the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority notified Beaver County Radio at 1:10 PM Thursday, September 8, 2022, that the precautionary boil water advisory that was issued after a 24″ transmission line had ruptured on Monday afternoon in the City of Beaver Falls has been lifted.

Riggio said via text message that customers are no longer required to boil their drinking water. The water is safe to consume and can be used normally. Jim said that the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority apologizes for any inconvenience.

(Photo Gov. Wolf signing executive order to expand voter registration provided by Pa. Commonwealth Media Services) 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Seven additional Pennsylvania government agencies will provide voter registration forms. The expansion comes under a new order being signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The executive order requires the materials and information be available to the public through agencies within the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Corrections, Education, Labor and Industry, Military and Veterans Affairs and State departments. It means those who want to vote can start the process at Farm Show events, state parks, libraries and elsewhere. Visitors to the designated areas will be able to get official voter registration mail applications, envelopes and instructions about how to send them in.

Pa. Lt. Gov. and senatorial candidate John Fetterman speaks to a crowd gathered at aa United Steel Workers of America Labor Day event with President Joe Biden in West Mifflin, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, Monday Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman’s campaign says he’ll participate in just one debate. The campaign said Wednesday that Fetterman would participate in a televised debate in mid- to late October. It comes after weeks of his Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz, pressuring Fetterman and aggressively questioning the severity of his lingering health problems from a stroke he suffered in May. As the general election grows closer, Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon and political novice, has begun stepping up his questioning of Fetterman’s fitness for office. Fetterman’s campaign has said Oz’s insistence on a debate is “about mocking John for having a stroke.”

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Ambridge, Pa.) The Ambridge Police reported Thursday morning that at 3: 22 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon a car took off from their department’s lot.  A pursuit was started by Borough Police. At one point Leet Township took over the pursuit on Big Sewickley Creek Road.  Police were not able to apprehend the suspect. His vehicle is a crème colored Lincoln Navigator that has a Texas license plate. Police were able to obtain a partial identification of the plate which is MWC. The suspect is a white male who is armed, has a  large beard and multiple tattoos. He has multiple felony warrants out on him from Ohio. Police are reporting that if you see him do not approach him, call 9-1-1.

(Photo of Mayor Dwan B. Walker reading the proclamation given to three Aliquippa residents for their heroic acts. Photo and story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News) 

(Aliquippa, Pa.) The Aliquippa City Council met on Wednesday night and Beaver County District Attorney David J. Lozier recognized Charles(Chuckie) Hines, Matthew Weekly and Lamar Rawl  for their heroic acts to save PA State Trooper Jonnie Schooley  after he was shot in the leg just after midnight on July 29, 2022 at the Franklin Ave Mini-mart. Schooley  and fellow Trooper Shawn  Palmer were on patrol in the city when they noticed a disturbance  outside the Franklin Avenue Mini Mart. Damian Ray Bradfford,41  of Pittsburgh  shot Trooper Schooley in the leg as he and Palmer attempted to intervene. Schooley was rushed to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment.

(File Photo of the Beaver County Jail)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Beaver Pa.)  Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier is reporting that Brian Lee Colbert turned himself in to the  Beaver County Jail early Wednesday morning.  Colbert was on a work release project cutting grass at a cemetery in Rochester Twp. in early July and walked away  from the site.

Police have been looking for him since that time.

(file photo)

Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Aliquippa, Pa.) The Aliquippa City Council met Wednesday night and Road Department Supervisor Alex Scott told council that new lighting will be installed on existing poles in downtown Aliquippa the first week of October. Council approved Tec Electric’s bid of $7.850.00,  that cost is in addition  to supply, labor and materials for  $17,850.00.