Meeting was May 5th, insight into Pennsylvania county government
By Andrew Harris
Potter County and Allegany County are like brothers, but with different mothers. The release of minutes from the May meeting of the Potter county government underscores some of the differences and some of the commonalities between the counties divided by a state line.
The first major difference, besides the nomenclature, is the size of the board. While Allegany county has fifteen legislators and a board clerk, Potter county has five commissioners and an executive secretary. In Allegany County all county public meetings are recorded and archived before the meeting minutes have been finished. In Potter county, “meeting recordings are destroyed after meeting minutes are approved.”
It seems the actual work done in the county meetings is very similar: Proclamations, reports from department heads, contract ratifications. Of interest is that a community garden has been established in Coudersport to address food insecurity. Commissioner Hiemel announced that several northern Pennsylvania counties are joining forces and demanding an increase for PILOT programs intended for economic development.
Read the full meeting minutes below:
