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Politics & Government

Local Legislators Support New State Budget

State Sen. John Pippy said budget will set stage for more reasonable budgets.

While both houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature battled Thursday to develop a plan to limit school districts on their ability to raise local property taxes, at least one local legislator believes the budget sent before Gov. Tom Corbett for his signature is a good one.

Republican state Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon, who voted with senate Republicans to support the $27.15 billion spending plan proposed by Gov. Corbett admitted the budget “reflects the money situation we’re in.”

Pippy, whose district covers Peters Township in Washington County, and Upper St Clair, South Fayette, North Fayette, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Moon, Findlay, Collier, Sewickley, Jefferson Hills, South Park and Pleasant Hills and others in Allegheny County, said the budget will “set the stage for more reasonable budgets, which will put our expenditures in line with our revenues."

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Pippy said that given the economy, and (if) it stays on track, “hopefully we’ve seen the largest of the cuts.”

The other area lawmaker, state Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, whose district covers Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park and Peters Township, was not available for comment on the House's passage of the budget Wednesday night. He told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that there is no surplus.

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"It only has a surplus in the way that someone who's maxed out on their credit cards and finds 10 bucks in the pocket of their jeans coming out of the dryer thinks that they have a surplus," he said.

School districts were forced to trim budgets because of cuts in state funding, but Pippy said the majority of the cuts were mainly due to loss of federal stimulus money.

“I think it’s very important we got the bill on time so schools and public welfare organizations know what kind of funding they will be receiving,” Pippy said. “One reason I voted for the bill was because it was able to provide some more funding to the school districts I represent.”

It is unclear how a plan to limit school districts in the amount they can raise taxes would affect local districts as they plan their 2012-13 budgets. Currently, the State Department of Education limits the amount taxes can be raised without an exception or a voter referendum.

Peters Township Board of Education member David Hvizdos said Monday night that making cuts to school district funding shows “how Harrisburg is out of touch” with local school districts noting that while cutting funding, the mandated index to increase taxes is only 1.4 percent.

Peters Township adopted a $49.6 million budget, with a 1.4 mill tax increase, and implemented participation fees for student athletes, band members and those in activities. There were no layoffs.

The Upper St Clair board adopted a $59.395 million budget and a .33 mill tax increase, that included the furloughing of seven teachers, three teacher aides and an administrator. It also included a pay-to-play for middle and high school students athletes.

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