Thursday, July 27, 2006
The discount cards would be available to those without prescription coverage.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- A prescription drug discount plan for eligible Mercer County residents will be launched Aug. 7, Mercer County commissioners announced.
Initial sites for distributing the discount cards include the county's five Office on Aging sites, which are located in Mercer, Greenville, Grove City, Hermitage and Sandy Lake; the Keystone Blind Association in Sharon and the Mercer County Courthouse.
In addition, commissioners said every municipality has received a letter asking whether it will serve as a distribution center. Participating municipalities will be announced at the beginning of August.
The cards would be available for residents who have no prescription insurance and would provide discounts of varying percentages. The program is available through the National Association of Counties, which commissioners recently joined.
Electricity purchasing
In other business at their meeting Tuesday, commissioners agreed to participate in a free study by Premier Power Solutions, Grove City, to determine whether the county could save money by buying electricity in bulk.
Director of Administrative Services William Boyle said that the county's electric bill is running $20,000 to $24,000 per month. A minimum 30 percent increase in electric rates is expected in 2007, Boyle said.
Commissioner Brian Beader said he has no objection to the study but said he thinks the county should buy electricity from FirstEnergy because it is the local provider.
In another matter, Beader said that the county is withholding $100,000 still remaining to be paid on a $10 million contract with C & amp; M Contracting of Pittsburgh, the general contractor for the county jail. Beader said that some of the exterior work is not completed, including cleaning of a ditch, and that he feels the money should be withheld until everything is done.