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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Mike
Storm |
State Rep. Chelsa
Wagner |
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Wagner bill would overhaul Port Authority board
HARRISBURG, June 27 – State Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation (H.B. 1642) that would change the Allegheny County Port Authority board’s composition to provide greater protection for the interests of taxpayers. Wagner’s legislation would complement a statewide public transit overhaul passed by the House today.
“Analysis by the Allegheny Institute and a state audit confirm what has become painfully obvious through years of PAT mismanagement,” Wagner said. “With no state representation on the Port Authority board, there has been inadequate protection for the millions of taxpayer dollars provided each year. A state presence could have prevented many of the authority’s irresponsible actions that have exacerbated its funding shortfalls.”
Pointing to significant bipartisan support for her proposal -- both within Allegheny County and statewide – Wagner said it’s time to instill a system of responsible governance with checks and balances. Her bill has 57 House co-sponsors, including 16 Republicans and Democrats from Allegheny County.
“Currently, the nine members of the Allegheny County Port Authority board are appointed solely by the county chief executive,” said Wagner, who serves on the House Transportation Committee. “My legislation would decrease the number of county appointees to four and add five state appointees -- one from each legislative caucus and one appointed by the governor.”
Wagner and supporters also cited troubling findings of a state audit that revealed improper use of state, federal and local taxpayer dollars for excessive benefits and bonuses for executives at the authority. The audit also identified excessive vacation time for top executives, which was then sold back to the Port Authority, in addition to other questionable expenditures amounting to more than $1 million in recent years alone.
Acknowledging the clear need for a better system of mass transit funding, Wagner noted the equally important need to make sure those dollars are spent responsibly by government leaders.
“Everyday common-sense management could’ve avoided the massive PAT budget shortfalls that are hurting our residents today, which amount to poor governance. That’s why I’m working with a sense of urgency to pass my bill during the budget negotiations before lawmakers leave Harrisburg for the summer. The time is ripe to reform the PAT board and give the taxpayers and transit users the responsible board they deserve and on which they can rely,” Wagner explained.
Wagner’s legislation would protect the interest of state taxpayers by expanding their representation on the board since mass transit in Pennsylvania is primarily funded at the state level. In the instance of the Port Authority, 64 percent of the funding comes from the state.
Additionally, the level of local contribution would be significantly increased under a statewide transportation funding bill (H.B. 1590) introduced by House Democrats and passed by the full House today.
Wagner, who has been championing the need for greater local contribution for mass transit funding, said H.B. 1590 would increase the share of local transit funding to 20 percent. In Allegheny County, Wagner said this would mean about $40 million each year in local investment, making the local government a more equal partner in providing residents with a reliable mass transit system.
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