Staff writer

bmiller@observer-reporter.com

Washington County Commission Chairman Larry Maggi is a former state trooper who's ticketed drivers, arrested people and been under gunfire.

But he said the abuse he got as a trooper pales in comparison to the "hell" he's caught over the process used to forward grant requests to the state for slots revenue from The Meadows Racetrack & Casino.

It was more of the same at a two-hour meeting - the first of four - convened Wednesday night by local legislators to change the distribution of the Washington County share of slots money.

Maggi, the sole member of the three-person board of commissioners to wade into the fray Wednesday at the Chartiers Township municipal building, where about 25 local officials had gathered, will be receiving a report from the Washington County legislative delegation on recommendations to change the evaluation, application process and proposed distribution of slots revenue at the county level the next time projects are considered.

For the current quarter, which runs through Monday, the county soon will be submitting 26 of more than 80 requests for $8,059,140 worth of projects to the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which plans to announce grant recipients in June.

The three largest projects submitted for funding - Southpointe II, Alta Vista Business Park and Starpointe - total $3.7 million and would create 5,000 jobs, according to the nine-member local share committee of the economic development roundtable and state Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil, who forwarded their recommendations to the commissioners last month.

"I believe it would be best to split the shares as you did the last time, but avoid the appearances of cigar-smelling, backroom cronyism by eliminating those on the board who are members of organizations that have applied for the funds and have all deliberations open to public scrutiny," said Douglas Smith, Morris Township supervisor.

White, state Sen. J. Barry Stout, D-Bentleyville, and state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, heard about the needs of smaller communities, local sewer and water line projects, volunteer fire departments and communities bordering North Strabane Township, home of the casino.

Several people said they want to see local officials represented on the panel evaluating the applications, which the Department of Community and Economic Development will consider before announcing grant awards. Others groused about the complexity of the application process and having to spend money for studies of projects that didn't make the cut.

Although many are unhappy with the evaluation of local share applications, Bob Koman, chairman of the South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors, said his local government "has no thought about" joining in a lawsuit to challenge the process that's been discussed in Centerville and East Bethlehem Township.

Additional meetings are planned for April 3 at Mon Valley Career and Technical Center, Speers; April 10 in the Somerset Township municipal building; and April 18 at East Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Department. All of the meetings will begin at 7 p.m.

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