Lawrence Co. treasurer updates services

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Lawrence County’s new treasurer says he’s already making changes in his first week on the job.

Richard Rapone gave a report Thursday at the Lawrence County commissioner’s caucus meeting about his first few days. Rapone said clerks were only using one money drawer when collecting taxes and other payments. He has now installed three money drawers, one for each clerk, to make the process more accountable.

He’s also implementing written procedures to handle matters when they find overpayments or the cash drawers are short of their expected take.

Rapone said he’s also had voice mail installed to all employee phones, something which had not been in place under the previous treasurers.

He also intends to process mailed tax payments within a day of receipt and do spot checks with taxpayers to determine if they approved of the service they received when working with his office.

Rapone is the first elected treasurer of the county since Gary Felasco, who was convicted and spent one year in state prison for stealing money from the office.