In our recent survey of municipal leaders across the Commonweatlh, Empowered Muncipality found that 86% of the the respondents favored a tax of some kind.
Comments [Add Comment]
The survey reached municipal leaders, school district and business leaders across the Commonwealth. The results are summarized below.
* I favor a State Tax 42%
* I favor a local usage fee
for local municipalities 18%
* I favor a State Tax,
earmrked for
environmental protection
and cleanup 26%
* I am not sure, I need
more information 4%
Governor Corbett has been consistent in his stance on his overall budget number of $27.3 billion, but has stated that he has some flexibility within that overall number. Reducing the fiscal deficit is his major goal and he has not stepped back from confronting strong opposition and public opinion of funding of education, for instance.
On the issue of taxing the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus formations, he initially was as consistent on not taxing this industry, but more recently has indicated that he was open to usage fees of some kind to help offset the impact of the drilling operations on local communities.
There is genuine concern for water contamination and with the recent explosion of a Chesapeake well in Bradford County and the subsequent halting of drilling by Chesapeake, it is no wonder that a large percentage of our respondents think a tax, if enacted should be earmarked for this purpose.
The Commision setup by the Governor to advise him on the Marcellus issue has been criticized as an industry rubber stamp. I'm of the opinion that even is this is so, he is entitled to choose his advisors. If he is wise, and I think he is, in many ways, he will consider what local leaders think as well.
I've thought for a while that taxing the industry was necessary to have the money availalbe for environmental protection and cleanup and to offset the impact on local communities. I have not been in favor of a State Tax simply because I think this averts our dealing with fundamental fiscal issues and this money could be easily diverted by the Legislature for other purposes.
If the Legislature and Governor can set the rules and ultimately for how to have the industry participate in paying for environemntal issues and local impact, then I think we have a historic opportunity for growth, preotcting our environment and offsetting the local impact of the Marcellus drilling and all its impacts.
Rob Sayre
Editor
