DANVILLE – In the face of the state budget impasse, Montour County has taken steps to ensure continued solvency. Friday, the county filed a request with the court for emergency borrowing in order to fill the hole left by state funds that have not been released.
Commissioner chairman Trevor Finn says they asked department heads to put off non-essential hiring, to freeze travel and training unless it was necessary for certification and to not fulfill budgetary spending back in September, “We have a very good relationship with our elected row offices and our department heads and I have no doubt that they’ll fulfill these austerity measures as we’ve asked them to do.”
Finn says these measures have allowed the county to continue to meet required payments without state monies. Finn lays the blame for every county’s plight on Harrisburg politics, “We’re in good fiscal shape and we believed that our elected representatives in Harrisburg would actually do the right thing and pass a budget, but they have not, and it doesn’t look they’re going to do that until next year.”
When state funding is finally released, Montour County will be able to pay back the principal on any short-term loan, however they will have to pay interest on the loan from county coffers. Commissioners say they will put off borrowing until absolutely necessary. (Jennifer Wakeman)