NEW CASTLE Official touts plan for countywide authority

The council of governments is working to explain the idea to the municipalities.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A proposed countywide municipal authority could help Lawrence County get more money from the federal government, according to one county official.
"We are missing the boat in Lawrence County as far as creative financing. We're not tapping the resources out there to the best of our ability," said Roger DeCarbo, county commissioner.
DeCarbo proposed the idea earlier this year as a means to help municipalities work together to meet government mandates for things such as installing public sewage lines.
The Lawrence County Council of Government is now studying the idea. COG Executive Director Robert Callen said he is planning to meet with existing municipal sewer and water authorities to discuss it.
Role: DeCarbo said he believes there is a misconception among the various communities about the role of a countywide authority. He said it could be used to help finance infrastructure expansions, but also work on improved police coverage and possibly countywide building and health code enforcement.
Callen said he has received word from federal officials that they want to see more regional projects, rather than have things done by individual municipalities.
"I think this authority could allow things to become reality that we never imagined possible," DeCarbo said.
The COG is working on several projects that include multiple municipalities. Those include a feasibility study on regionalized police for several communities and applying for a state grant to create a regional code enforcement program.