LAWRENCE COUNTY Fosnaught named to state board

The board supplies information to the state department of education for school subsidies.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County will have some local representation when it comes time for the state to determine how much the county's property is worth.
County Commissioner Ed Fosnaught has been named to the State Tax Equalization Board, a board set up in 1947 to compensate for the lack of assessment uniformity statewide in distributing school subsidies.
"I'm excited about it and I intend to do a good job," Fosnaught said.
The board consists of a chairman, two members and a staff of 18. Each board member is appointed by the governor and approved by the legislature for a term of four years.
Appointment: Fosnaught said his appointment came as a result of a conversation he had with someone from Lt. Gov. Robert Jubilierer's office about getting more involved in state government. Jubilierer later asked him to serve on the board, he said.
Gov. Mark Schweiker submitted Fosnaught's name to the state Legislature, and he was officially appointed Monday.
"It's just a real good fit being in local government and on the board. The local government officials are the ones who deal with property taxes more than anyone else," he said.
The primary function of the board is to determine annually the market value of taxable property in each municipality and school district in Pennsylvania.
Those market values are then used by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as one factor in determining state subsidies for each school district.
Fosnaught said the board's monthly meetings should not conflict with his work as a Lawrence County commissioner.