FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith D-Chester www.pahouse.com/BSmith

McIlvaine Smith donates cost-of-living increase to five local organizations 

WEST CHESTER, Oct. 1 – State Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith, D-Chester, recently donated $510 to the West Chester Public Library. The check represented part of McIlvaine Smith's legislative cost-of-living adjustment given to all legislators but which she did not wish to accept.

"I wanted to simply reject the COLA but learned state law prohibits legislators from selecting their level of compensation," McIlvaine Smith said. "Since I could not refuse the increase, I decided to donate my COLA to five local charitable organizations."

The following local organizations have received $510 from McIlvaine Smith:

Ø Community Volunteers in Medicine

Ø Homeless Single Women’s Task Force

Ø West Chester Public Library

Ø West Chester Area Senior Center

Ø West Chester Head Start

McIlvaine Smith also stated that she will not declare the donations as charitable deductions on her federal income tax return.

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Attention News Editors: A print-quality photograph of state Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith donating $510 to the West Chester Public Library is available for download at www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.

          Caption information: State Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith, D-Chester, donates a portion of her cost-of-living adjustment to the West Chester Public Library. Because she could not refuse the COLA, Rep. McIlvaine Smith divided the increase equally among five local charitable organizations. Pictured with Rep. McIlvaine Smith is Howard Sundwall, president of the WCPL Board of Trustees.