Taxpayers Still in Dark on Sunset Review

Taxpayers Still in Dark on Sunset Review

Back in March we asked "has the sun set on sunset review in Allegheny County?" The Home Rule Charter clearly spells out that every County department and agency is to be reviewed every four years to see if the needs of County taxpayers are being met. The review allows the County to determine if the function should be continued, reorganized, or abolished.

That the last sunset review took place in 2003 is troubling to say the least. This is a function that is clearly spelled out in the Charter and prescribes clear responsibilities for the Manager’s office and the County Council. The County should have been close to producing its third review for 2011. Instead, it has yet to act on the second one.

There are no punitive measures spelled out in the Charter or the Administrative Code describing what would happen in the current case. But talk about sending a bad message. Taxpayers ought to know what works and what does not work in County government. So again we ask-where is the sunset review for Allegheny County?