Washington Co. readies for LSA workshops; legislation to change how its handed out sits idle
The Washington County Redevelopment Authority learned last month that the state Department of Community and Economic Development approved the most recent round of $7.4 million for 40 Local Share Account projects recommended by the county commissioners.
Armed with that information, the authority is ready to begin the next round for 2020.
The authority, which administers the Local Share Account for Washington County, plans three workshops for those who will be preparing or helping to prepare applications:
10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in council chambers of the Donora Borough Building, 603 Meldon Ave.;
2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Western Area Career and Technology Center, 688 Western Ave., which has a Canonsburg address but is near Houston Borough;
And 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, in the first-floor public meeting room of the Courthouse Square office building, 100 W. Beau St., Washington.
Applications for the 2020 round of local share funding are due Sept. 25, with public hearings to be held on or about Nov. 19.
William McGowen, executive director of the redevelopment authority, said the timetable has been moved up slightly this year so information can be submitted to DCED well before a March 2020 deadline.
These will be the first round of workshops and hearings since state Rep. Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run Township, proposed amending the state gaming law, known as Act 71, to do away with devoting gambling revenue from The Meadows Racetrack and Casino to local projects.
Cook, who is seeking co-sponsors for his proposal, wants to see the money redirected to Washington County school districts, which would be required to apply it to property tax relief.
Although Cook鈥檚 legislative district includes part of Fayette County, home to the Lady Luck Casino at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, he singled out Washington County in his co-sponsorship memorandum as a casino tied to a horse racetrack.
A state website that tracks his legislation does not indicate that his proposal was introduced, and the Legislature is in recess until mid-September.
Projects submitted for 2019 include repairing the roof of a cemetery chapel, funding a historical research and education center, and redeveloping the site of a former glassmaking plant.
{p class=鈥漷ncms-inline-link鈥潁{span style=鈥漜olor: #000000;鈥潁The $7.4 million in revenue generated by The Meadows Racetrack & Casino will be divvied among 40 proposals from various parts of the host county in the categories of community improvement, which also seeks to remove blight; economic development, including upgrading brownfields; job training; and public interest, which includes myriad sewer and water projects.{/span}
Municipalities in Washington County with all but the tiniest populations receive a chunk of local share money directly from the state, which Cook鈥檚 plan would not remove.
Cook has also filed a request with the redevelopment authority under the state鈥檚 Right-to-Know law.
鈥淲e sent him what was available,鈥� McGowen said.
鈥淗e was requesting information on specific projects. That鈥檚 been a month ago.鈥�
Cook has also asked that state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale examine Washington County鈥檚 LSA process. Although the auditor general鈥檚 office acknowledged receiving Cook鈥檚 communication, it did not commit to performing the audit.
Locally, McGowen said, 鈥淲e do audits on a regular basis. Once all the projects are completed, we audit and that closes out that year.鈥�
Entities receiving Local Share money, which becomes available Sept. 1, must spend it within three years. They must also sign a contract consenting to be audited, not just to track the flow of money, but to comply with all requirements.
The redevelopment authority鈥檚 auditing firm, Maher Duessel, has not turned up negative findings, McGowen said.