LEWISBURG — Four of five candidates for Snyder County Commissioner attended a candidates forum hosted by the Susquehanna Valley Conservatives. The event was held this week in Lewisburg. All of the incumbents attended along with Republican Elizabeth Paige. Democrat Naomi Hoffman was invited, but did not attend. The candidates were asked about a proposed natural gas severance tax and the existing impact fee.
Democratic commissioner Peggy Chamberlain Roup spoke about the impact fee, “I don’t want the severance fee to interfere with the impact fee. Snyder County actually receives a portion of that money. I wouldn’t oppose an additional fee, but I want the impacted counties to actually see the benefit of that money.”
Republican commissioner Joe Kantz says counties are adamantly opposed to anything that will change the current impact fee, “We are not taking a stand on the severance tax as a whole. But, we are adamant about keeping that impact fee intact. Snyder County, in the last three or four years, has received over $350,000 of impact fees.”
Republican commissioner Malcolm Derk said the impact fee revenue has been used wisely in Snyder County, “It is designated specifically to bridges that are structurally deficient. Don’t we all agree that is something that needs to be maintained? And, also for open space and greenways, is the other designated pot, and the state decided those are the pots we have to spend the money on.”
Republican challenger Elizabeth Paige said, “I know right now that it’s being discussed, just at my township level, moving the gas line right into Monroe Township to help the Sunbury Generation Plant. I believe those impact fees need to come into the county and into the townships to help benefit those who are going to be impacted by the new gas line.”
WKOK will feature comments from the Snyder and Northumberland County Commissioners on various topics from the candidates forum throughout the week. You can also read the stories online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)