By Bob Niedbala, Staff writer

niedbala@observer-reporter.com

WAYNESBURG - Local governments in Pennsylvania estimate they'll need at least $1.5 billion in additional money just to repair and maintain existing roads and bridges.

With that in mind, the $30 million in additional funds they'll get from Act 44, the transportation funding bill approved in July, is only a "drop in the bucket," said Holly Fishel, director of research and policy development for the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

Fishel gave an update on legislation affecting townships at the 92nd annual convention of the Greene County Association of Township Supervisors held Friday at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

One of the big issues the state association recently faced was Act 44, Fishel said. The legislation calls for increasing tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and for making Interstate 80 a toll road. Money generated from tolls will pay off bonds issued by the Turnpike Commission.

The arrangement will generate about $900 million a year, most of which will go to the state Department of Transportation for road and bridge repairs and to help fund mass transit.

Only about $30 million in new money will be distributed to municipal governments through the liquid fuels program to repair deteriorated roads and bridges, Fishel said.

The state association had pushed for more money for local governments, she said.

The need is there, Fishel said, speaking of the increased costs associated with repairing roads and bridges and the large number of local bridges considered structurally deficient.

The funding issue may not be dead, Fishel added. She referred to the controversy surrounding making I-80 a toll road.

Other efforts also are under way to raise the amount of transportation money available for local governments, said state Sen. J. Barry Stout, D-Bentleyville, who attended the convention.

Stout said he soon plans to introduce a bill that will increase the cap on the oil franchise tax from $1.25 to $1.75 a gallon. The tax is based on the wholesale price of gasoline. The cap has not been increased in 26 years.

The proposal would raise an additional $60 million for local governments to repair roads and bridges, Stout said.

He, too, spoke of the need for additional money for infrastructure, citing the collapse of an overpass on Interstate 70 in Washington several years ago. He urged members to ask their legislators to support the bill.

Fishel spoke of other proposed legislation the state association now is watching including those to increase the limits on bidding requirements, to change the open records law and to create a countywide collection system for earned income taxes.

The county township association holds its convention each year to update township officers on issues affecting local government and to give supervisors and others a chance to share information.

A number of other speakers presented information on topics such as road bonding, grant writing assistance, hazardous mitigation plans and agriculture security areas.

New officers were elected.

Charles Wise of Gilmore Township was elected president; Leroy McGlone of Jackson Township, first vice president; Jeff Mooney of Morris Township, second vice president; Mary Jane Kent, secretary treasurer; C. Bryan Cole of Wayne Township was elected nominating chairman; Robert Keller of Morris Township, finance chairman; and Boyt Blair of Whiteley Township, resolutions chairman.

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