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County Commissioners Push Transportation Funding, Prevailing Wage Reforms

County officials remain steadfast in their support for more transportation dollars alongside reforms to the prevailing wage law.

The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania says the set wages unnecessarily boost the cost of road work for local governments.

Association president Christian Leinbach, a Berks County commissioner, said despite a coolness to linking reforms to a transportation funding bill, his group is still pushing for an end to prevailing wage.

"That would have an immediate and positive impact on local taxpayers – municipalities, school districts, as well as county government operations," he said.

The Corbett administration has resisted efforts by the House GOP to include prevailing wage reforms in a transportation funding bill.

A PennDOT spokesman said that’s not likely to change.

Supporters of prevailing wage say the law ensures public projects like road repairs and school construction attract highly skilled workers.

Transportation funding remains a top issue for the Legislature, since a bill stalled in the House before the summer recess.