Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner released the following statement regarding tonight’s County Council meeting and the failure of the County Executive and County Council to take real action to examine the County’s inflated millage rate and avoid a potential illegal windfall:

"While I appreciate that County Council made some effort tonight, this still does not adequately address the windfall problem. There remains a lack of transparency, and I continue to be very concerned about the haphazard manner in which the County makes major fiscal decisions. This is not good math and it is certainly not good government.”

On Thursday, January 24, 2013, Controller Wagner raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the County’s set millage rate for 2013 and her concerns regarding a potential illegal windfall of between million and million. The same day, Controller Wagner wrote County Executive Fitzgerald and County Council members to ask for their participation in a meeting regarding her concerns. This request remains unanswered. A copy of the release from January 24th is attached below. On Wednesday, January 30, 2013, Wagner presented County Council’s committee on Budget and Finance with additional details regarding her calculation of a millage rate of 4.23 (0.5 mills below the approved rate) and the Administration’s lack of specific details regarding their calculation of the 4.73 mills rate.