The House Appropriations Committee has rescheduled the three hearings it had scheduled on how state agencies use special funds to pay for grants and programs. The Committee is now scheduled to question representatives of the departments of Conservation and Natural Resources and Environmental Protection on January 25.
In September, House Republicans unveiled a plan to take over $450 million from environmental special funds to help balance the state budget. They said these monies were “surplus” and “unused” when that was clearly not the case.
While that raid was not successful, the budget revenue package that ultimately passed on October 30 included a provision directing the Governor to transfer $300 million from special funds of his choosing to the General Fund to accomplish the same objective.
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell told the Citizens Advisory Council November 14 he did not yet know if environmental funds would be impacted by the special fund transfers.
With the Independent Fiscal Office now projecting significant deficits in the state budget in each of the next five years starting with nearly $1 billion in next year’s budget, the threat to raid environmental and other special funds continues to be real.
In the letter requesting DEP and DCNR to appear for the hearing, Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York), Majority Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said--
“Throughout this year's budget negotiations process, there have been many unanswered questions about the balances of these accounts and the expenditures of these accounts. The people of Pennsylvania deserve transparency when it comes to their tax dollars and the Appropriations Committee is determined to achieve that'
“During these hearings the committee will be taking an in-depth review of the special funds under the purview of both the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“Those funds include the Conservation District Fund, Coal Lands Improvement Fund, Energy Development Fund, Environmental Education Fund, Environmental Stewardship Fund, Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund, Keystone Recreation Park and Conservation Fund, the Recycling Fund, and the Solid Waste-Resource Recovery Development Fund.
“lt is vital that you bring all necessary staff to answer questions about the revenues and expenditures that are related to the specified funds.
“Specifically, we are requesting DCNR Deputy Secretary for parks and Forestry John Norbeck; DCNR Director of the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Tom Ford; DCNR Director of Administrative Services Stacie Amsler; DEP Executive Deputy Secretary for Administration and Management Darrin Bodner; DEP Bureau of Fiscal Management Director Tina Sutton; DEP Grants Center Director Michele Devaney to join you in front of the committee to answer questions on these special funds.
“Additionally, I am requesting that you submit documentation to the Committee by December 4, 2017 detailing current commitments in the Conservation District Fund, Coal Lands Improvement Fund, Environmental Education Fund, Environmental Stewardship Fund, Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund, Keystone Recreation park and Conservation Fund, the Recycling Fund, and the Solid Waste-Resource Recovery Development Fund.
“Specifically, I am requesting that you detail in writing the currently open projects that have been awarded funding by 1) award date, 2) entity name, 3) project start date and 4) the anticipated date by which the funding will be expended.
“It is important that the committee and the viewing public be allowed to listen and respond to any information that is provided. Our desire is to have questions answered that day. Therefore, any unanswered questions will require the testifiers to come back and provide additional public testimony before the committee.”
Click Here for a copy of the letter.
The location and time of the hearing has not been set. Committee hearings are typically webcast through the House Republican Caucus website.
Similar hearings have been rescheduled for the Department of Transportation on December 14 and the Department of Community and Economic Development on January 24.
Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-6426 or send email to: ssaylor@pahousegop.com. Rep. Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny) serves as Minority Chair of the Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1540 or send email to: RepMarkosek@pahouse.net.
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