(File Photo of the Beaver County Courthouse)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Beaver, PA) During the solicitors’ report of the Beaver County Commissioners’ work session this morning at 10 a.m. at the Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver, Beaver County Solicitor Garen Fedeles provided an update on a 457 voluntary retirement plan that Beaver County participates in. Fedeles clarified that this specific plan is one that employees in the county can choose to contribute on their own even though it is no mandatory. A retirement plan administrator from Sewickley named Paul Palguta, who was in charge with some of the investments of that 457 plan, was charged with theft and embezzlement of approximately $20.3 million. The story about him can be found by clicking the link below:
Fedeles confirmed that eight plans were affected by this incident, there is a lawsuit that is trying to get money back and this case is in front of a court with a judge right now, “awaiting a judge to sign off on a proposed distribution of some of the assets that they have recouped.” The house of Palguta has been sold and a couple of bank accounts have been recouped, as well as roughly about $2 million recouped in total. Fedeles also noted an attorney has also been hired by the Beaver County Commissioners who specializes in the field that has to do with the 457 plan to assist them through this case and they are waiting for a blessing by the judge right now to move forward with the sale of the recouped assets of this case. In other business, Fedeles believes that all of the tax assessment appeals are “probably finalized” as far as the period of appeal of when they can appeal and 375 appeals is what the total will probably end up being and January of 2026 is when these cases are scheduled to start going before judges. During the commissioners’ report of the work session, Commissioner Jack Manning stated that he attended a recent annual town hall that focuses on how to prevent drug and alcohol addiction. Even though he noted that a significant issue in Beaver County is fentanyl, he confirmed that both addictions and deaths are decreasing. Manning also expressed that Beaver County has achieved a record high of 1,112 people seeking treatment through behavioral health and a record high of 786 people completing that aforementioned treatment. Commissioner Tony Amadio also commented in the Commissioners’ report of the owrk session that he was fascinated by the journal that the Beaver County Conservation District puts together about all of their projects, which Manning noted is available online. Manning also made a comment that there is an “uptick,” no pun intended, of ticks that are testing positive for their diseases as well as an increase of lyme disease in the area from the ticks.