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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Jesse White |
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White requests probe of Hanover Township Municipal Authority
HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 – State Rep. Jesse White, D-Washington/Allegheny/Beaver, announced today that he has formally requested an investigation by state Auditor General Jack Wagner of the Hanover Township Municipal Authority in Washington County.
White said he requested the probe because records recently obtained via an Open Records request showed that a board member who is an appointed official billed the authority $20 per hour for his services, including customer service calls and meetings to discuss sewage issues.
"Whether or not these practices are permitted by the Municipal Authority Code, I honestly find this to be repulsive and unacceptable," White said in his letter to Auditor General Wagner.
The embattled municipal authority has faced criticism from residents over its ongoing sewage treatment plant project, disregarding an offer from neighboring Burgettstown to tap into its sewage infrastructure. A peer review recently conducted by KLH Engineers confirmed this option to be the more financially sound choice, but as yet no formal decision has been made by the Hanover Township Supervisors.
The multi-million dollar project has received funds from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, as well as a grant from the PA H20 program through the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
"Something just
doesn’t smell right, even for a municipal authority," White said. "The
task of an appointed official is to serve the community, and these questionable
expenses for services that appear to be a standard part of the job description
raise serious concerns."
White said he is committed to seeing the sewage project through to completion, but would like the municipal authority's operations to be open and the board to be accountable to residents.
White is committed to municipal authority reform. He has recently introduced three bills in the state legislature that would improve authority operations:
- House Bill 1715 would require municipal authorities that are eligible to apply for any state and federal funding available for projects in excess of $1 million, and to provide public notice of the application.
- House Bill 1716 would permit the state auditor general to conduct performance audits of municipal authorities.
- House Bill 1717 would require authorities to offer an installment payment plan at a fixed rate of interest when tap-in or other similar fees for property owners exceed $1,000.
All three measures are currently being considered in the House Local Government Committee.
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