Local Government, A Discussion

State and local leaders held a discussion in downtown Pittsburgh Thursday morning about the role each is supposed to play.

The program, Issues in Local Government: Community and Legislative Perspectives was attended by about 300 leaders and members of the foundation community.

Reports were presented displaying what legislators and citizens thought were the key challenges for local government. They included pension problems, infrastructure maintenance in the face of Marcellus Shale drilling, a severance tax to offset those costs, balancing economic opportunities with environmental factors and transportation spending.

Those in attendance included Dan Frankel, Pennsylvania State Representative and co-chair of the Institute of Politics Fiscal Policy and Governance Committee, Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania Senate, Jay Costa, Minority Leader of the Pennsylvania Senate, Frank Dermody, Minority Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Mike Turzai, Majority Leader of The Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

"While I believe that an appropriate local impact fee is something I would support and something our caucus would support I have to be clear that it in no way shape or form should that be viewed as a replacement for a severance tax, a Marcellus Shale severance tax that is reasonable," said Costa.