Commonwealth budget cuts passed along to counties during FY 2008-2009, followed by the FY 2009-2010 budget impasse and additional cuts have come at the same time that residents requests for assistance to meet their most basic safety and social needs are on a dramatic upsing.

Counties are in the forefront in providing necessary services, and have had to make difficult choices as state and federal funds fail to keep pace with state and federal mandates, the increasing needs for services, and the actual cost of providing services. In most counties, cuts at the state and federal level increasingly result in services reductions or property tax increases - the only tax base available to county government.

For information on the current and proposed state budget, refer to the Web site links below.