Central Appropriations (995)
Authority: Discretionary Inclusion. A. The purpose of this item is to capture savings in state aid to
local government programs in a manner that provides localities flexibility in
how such savings are implemented. This reversion B. Within 30 days after enactment of this act, the Director,
Department of Planning and Budget, shall provide the chief operating officer of
each city and county in the Commonwealth a list of certain state aid to local
government programs along with an estimate of the general fund amount for each
program that each county and city could expect to receive from the state during
each year of the biennium. The total amount listed for these programs will
serve as the basis for calculating the savings apportioned to each city and
county for this Item. The savings apportionment will be equal to the percentage
of the aggregate general fund amount for all of these state aid programs in
each city and county totaling $50,000,000 the first year C. Each city and county in the Commonwealth shall have flexibility
in determining how it will implement the savings apportioned to it. Each city or
county can choose to (1) take the total savings out of one program included on
the list provided by the Department of Planning and Budget, (2) reduce multiple
state aid programs on a proportional basis or by a specified percentage
reduction, or (3) reimburse the Commonwealth in aggregate for their share of
the savings, thereby keeping the state aid programs at an unreduced level. Each
locality may also use number 3 above in combination with 1 or 2. The governing
body of each city or county shall make its selection and certify its choice to
the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, by August 30, 2012 D. The savings in state aid to local government programs identified by each city or county on their approved certification (or by the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, in absence of an approved certification) shall be transferred from the other Items where such amounts are appropriated in this act to offset the reversion amount listed in this Item. Payments from local governments electing to use option (3) above in paragraph C shall be deposited to a suspense account which shall be administered pursuant to § 3-1.03 of this act. |