Commissioner's plan criticized

NEW CASTLE, Pa. —  One Lawrence County commissioner’s last-minute call for a reduction in county property taxes was called a “gimmick” and a stab at “political expediency” by his fellow commissioners.

“I think there’s an opportunity to do something. I do think there’s an opportunity to lower the taxes. I don’t want to say by how much,” Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said at the start of Tuesday’s commissioner’s meeting just before leaving the meeting to portray Santa Claus at the county employee Christmas party.

Commissioners introduced the 2007 budget with no change in the tax rate at their Dec. 7 caucus meeting and are expected to vote on it Dec. 28.

Commissioner Steve Craig said he would be willing to discuss the reduction in taxes, but didn’t see it as a likely option.

“We’ve got a razor-thin margin in our contingency account going into 2007. That doesn’t give us a lot of wiggle room,” he said.

Craig said a reduction in the $320,000 contingency and the capital fund are the only two sources he could see funding a tax reduction — and he’s not interested.

“Sure we could flush all that money out [of the capital fund] and make it look good for an election year. But I want to leave this county in better shape than when we came in,” Craig said.

All three commissioners are up for election next year.