PSATS Executive Director Dave Sanko recently appeared on “Behind the Headlines,” a program by the Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization. 

Dave discussed the governor’s proposed budget and its insufficient funding for local roads and bridges. He also highlighted some of PSATS’ top legislative priorities, including unfunded mandates and efforts to preempt local land-use control. Referring to the legislature’s report detailing 7,000 unfunded mandates—3,500 legislatively mandated and 3,500 court-imposed—Dave emphasized that the lack of state funds forces municipalities to raise property and other local taxes to cover these mandates. 

On the housing front, Dave points out that townships are not the cause of the housing problem, but have been at the forefront of approving solutions. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Dave said.    

To watch Dave talk about these issues and more, watch it here: https://susvalleypolicy.org/behind-the-headlines/