In just over a month, elected State Representative Aaron Bernstine, will be offically sworn into office; however, the time gap is not stopping him from actively working towards keeping the promises he made during his campaign.
One of the most notable promises he made was that he would do everything in his power to cease the Borough’s usage of the electric utility as a taxation tool.
Though many people were skeptical of his claims, it appears that the elected 10th State House Representative is successfully making progress toward the ideal end goal. He took to the Facebook group Standing Up to Ellwood Electric to update those in the group on his related endeavors:
I wanted to provide you with an update as it relates to legislatively working to address the Ellwood Electric issue. Last week, I was in Harrisburg and had several meetings and discussions as it relates to Ellwood Electric being used as a taxation tool without restraint from the borough government. I have made it clear in Harrisburg, that one of my top initiatives is to solve this problem for the residents of Ellwood City.
I am working with the legislative leadership team in Harrisburg to set a hearing (in Ellwood City) on this issue, in which residents can share their concerns with other members of the PA House of Representatives. This hearing will bring to light the issues that Ellwood City residents are facing, and also uncover additional information that may not have been previously available through the right-to-know documents and discussions between residents and council.
As we go through this tedious process, understand that there will be “ups and downs”, but we must all remain 110% committed to ending this practice of using Ellwood Electric as a taxation tool.
He said that his current strategy of addressing the problem is only one of many potential ways to go about it, “I want to address the problem specifically by hosting a legislative committee meeting here in Ellwood because I think it’s important for the House of Representatives to see first hand what is transpiring in this community and why it absolutely needs to be fixed.”
Another activist against the Ellwood Electric crisis, private investigator David Gulish, filed a Right to Know Request with the Borough in order to obtain information regarding Ellwood Electric and the general fund in 2015. According to what Gulish was presented with, roughly 1.45 million dollars were transferred from the Ellwood Electric fund into the Boroughs’ general fund. Berstine suggested this is absolute proof that the Borough is inappropriately manipulating utility charges and fees beyond what was the intent of the legislation allowing for municipalities to manage their electricity. To view more information about Gulish’s findings, click here.
“Although it’s not illegal, and many other municipalities throughout Pennsylvania have a similar system in place, it’s no doubt that Ellwood Borough is abusing their ability to use the electric utility taxation in a responsible manner; instead, they are using it to remedy their spending as opposed to doing what they should be doing- getting spending under control.”
Bernstine furthered, “There has been a noticeable decline in the population over the last 10 years in Ellwood City, mainly consisting of younger residents. This affects the community because when people start to leave -specifically in the working class- so do businesses, and then the remaining residents who live here are forced to pick up the extra tax burdens left behind. The main goal for the Borough should be to market reasons why businesses and workers should establish themselves here. If businesses and tax paying citizens move into the area, eventually there would be a decline in taxes per-person, all the while still allowing the Borough their desired budget.”
Bernstine knows that the community has the potential to flourish, as it has a lot to offer businesses and workers alike. He plans on creating an appropriate marketing strategy highlighting the pros of the area, and equally centering his focuses to strengthen alliances in an attempt to invite the much needed businesses, workers, and jobs back into the area.
Ultimately, Bernstine is not only working toward a solution to the electric issue which is affecting the community here and now -he’s trying to create an ongoing solution to this problem and many others by striving to achieve a fruitful community capable of pursing more efficient ways to generate taxes.
This man is BIG LEAGUE. And we wonder why Little Jaret lost in a landslide.
He is a fine young man from a great family!