Locally elected and appointed officials voted on the following matters in the past week:
Federal
The Senate and House were out of session during the week.
State
The Senate passed a bill to limit the taxpayer cost of buyouts for public school superintendents and expose the terms to greater public view.
The bill would require termination, buyout and severance packages to be detailed upfront in contracts that are public records. In addition, it would prohibit those provisions from being modified during the course of the contract or in the event a contract is terminated prematurely.
It also would cap the value of severance agreements that are negotiated prior to the end of a contract. State Sen. E. Eugene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, voted yes.
The House passed a bill to eliminate the Delaware Loophole and reduce the Corporate State Net Income tax from 9.9 percent to 6.9 percent.
The loophole allows businesses to reduce their Pennsylvania tax liabilities by transferring ownership of assets to an affiliated company in Delaware where no tax is charged. Voting yes were state Reps. Garth Everett, R-Muncy; Matthew E. Baker, R-Wellsboro; and Rick Mirabito, D-Williamsport.
County
The Lycoming County commissioners approved an agreement with the state Department of Public Welfare that will provide STEP Inc. with $4.9 million for the Child Care Information Services program. Commissioners Jeff C. Wheeland, Tony Mussare and Ernie Larson voted in favor of the agreement.
By the same vote, the commissioners approved the extension of the Prescription Discount Card program through the National Association of Counties.
The Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority approved an intent to award notice to Lamadue Excavating LLC for work associated with a water line extension into the Fairfield Road business corridor. Mary Bennardi, Paul Wentzler, Jan Ransdorf, Donald Konkle Jr., James Carpenter and Robert Hippenstiel voted in favor of the notice. Scott Slocum, Charles Hall and Richard Haas were absent.
Municipal
DuBoistown Borough Council passed an ordinance banning vehicles in excess of 26,000 pounds from driving on certain borough streets. Voting yes were James Barger, Michael Rodgers, Paul McKinley, Norman Cowden, and Mark Shultz.
By the same vote, council appointed Kathy Weaver as borough tax collector and voted in favor of a plan to improve tracking and recording of data by the wet weather storage tank.
Williamsport City Council accepted use of half of a $10,276 federal grant to replace and reposition several cameras at City Hall. Voting in favor were President Bill Hall, Bonnie Katz, Jonathan Williamson, Don Noviello, Randall J. Allison and N. Clifford "Skip" Smith. Liz Miele was absent.
Muncy Borough Council voted to find an engineer to examine and evaluate the costs of rerouting the stormwater system which flows down Broadway and Sprout Streets, and to place the issue of abandoned properties around the borough on the agenda of their next meeting. Voting yes were Edward Danneman, Galen Betzer, Richard Baker, Dana Bertin, John Ort and Elaine McAleer.
School districts
Williamsport Area School Board voted to keep the high school graduation ceremony in the auditorium. A motion failed 4-3 to move the ceremony outside. Voting in favor of moving it outside were board members Brette Confair, Dale Vollman and Jay Shultz. Voting against the motion were board members David Stone Jr., Thomas Zimmerman, Jerene Milliken and Lori Baer. Board member Jane Penman abstained from voting and board member Karen Harris was not present for the vote.
