Every cent Eula K. Blair took from Bloomfield Township (Crawford County) by writing township checks to herself was money owed to her, the 25-year-old former secretary/treasurer of the township said Thursday.

But Blair did not explain what most of the money was for when she took the witness stand in her defense during the third day of her trial on theft charges.  read more »

The city of Erie faces a new financial challenge.

The state Auditor General’s Office is withholding about $3.2 million in state aid for the city’s pension funds for 2007 because of a dispute over the city’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or D.R.O.P.

The city uses the state aid to help make its required annual minimum contributions to its pension funds.

The city must make a payment of $5.6 million to its police, firefighter and blue- and white-collar pension funds by Dec. 31. The $3.2 million in state aid would be used along with city revenue to make the payment.

Mayor Joe Sinnott said the city has a plan to make the contribution if the state aid does not arrive by Dec. 31.  read more »

The city of Erie’s amusement tax apparently will live on — but still at the 3 percent level.

Erie City Council on Wednesday gave unanimous initial approval to the elimination of a sunset provision for the tax, making it permanent. The tax, enacted in the spring of 2006, currently is set to expire in January.

But council also rejected a proposal by councilman Jim Thompson to increase it from 3 percent to 5 percent.

In supporting the increase, Thompson said the tax has not affected the arts community, despite predictions of gloom and doom.

“I haven’t seen a single show that didn’t come to Erie because of the tax,” he said.
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Gaming money often seems like it falls out of the sky, doesn’t it?

Erie County seems poised to provide $25.7 million for a local share toward construction of an $80 million runway extension at Erie International Airport. That’s great. Important details are being worked out with the city of Erie about control and makeup of the Erie Municipal Airport Authority.

The county also must decide the best way to come up with millions needed for a proposed community college, which would require at least $600,000 in start-up money.  read more »

There is money for libraries, a public-safety dispatch center and salary increases. A property-tax hike, retiree benefits and a new prison pre-release center are also factored in.

But a big pot of money many groups are eyeing is conspicuously absent from Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio’s proposed $79.56 million county budget for 2008 — the $11 million in annual revenue from Presque Isle Downs & Casino. DiVecchio said that’s by design.  read more »

I hope voters will remember this when Judge Joyce comes up for retention.

Judge Michael Thomas Joyce, 58, of Erie, is charged with nine separate counts stemming from two insurance claims he filed related to an Aug. 10, 2001, car accident.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Pittsburgh, the accident occurred at a low speed, and neither medical nor law enforcement personnel were called to the scene. However, Judge Joyce subsequently sought damages from both State Farm Insurance, which held the other driver’s policy, as well as his own company, Erie Insurance Group, for pain and suffering he sustained related to injuries he said he received in the accident. ...  read more »

Another outstanding piece on the state’s transportation system by the P-G’s Joe Grata. It’s chocked full of great facts, including that I-80 uses 22% of the state’s federal highway maintenance funding.

The Turnpike Commission — in consortium with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation — is moving ahead to toll the 311-mile highway, raise rates on the existing turnpike in 2009, float bonds and turn over other new revenue to the state. ...  read more »