Commissioners show proper watchdogging regarding two issues
The Lycoming County Commissioners are supposed to be the stewards of the tax dollars that pay for county operations and funding for other projects.
With that in mind, we have no problem with two ongoing issues.
A disputed construction project involving a leachate tank, costing roughly $5.7 million, is causing problems at the Lycoming County landfill. The tank was not finished to specifications of the contract and, because of state requirements, the landfill is unable to use the tank, which can hold 5.5 million gallons of liquid.
Therefore litigation has begun against the contractor.
At a recent meeting, the commissioners withheld a bill payment of $82,113 for the Williamsport Regional Airport’s new terminal project.
The commissioners did not comment on the details, but the airport authority’s director indicated the bill has to due with engineering or architectural fees.
The total terminal project is estimated at $16.5 million, and the commissioners voted last October to provide a local match of $2 million for the project.
The funds are provided incrementally as the authority submits its bills for reimbursement pending a review by the county.
The commissioners, who intend to meet with the authority regarding the bill, are not supposed to rubber stamp expenditures. They are supposed to be fair but tough gatekeepers of taxpayers funds.
We want a smoothly operating landfill and a modernized local airport. The commissioners’ job, in part, is to make sure that those goals are realized using the proper methodology.
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