INDIANA--Officials in Indiana County will receive about $100,000 in grant money to cover future election costs.
The county already has received grant money for election upgrades, under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, but additional amounts were accepted at Wednesday's meeting of the county commissioners.
An initial $6,251.35 installment the county received will be used to help make polling places more accessible for handicapped people.
Most of the second installment of $93,857.71 will be used to help offset any maintenance costs related to the 2008 and 2010 elections and to purchase additional voting machines and programming software for election needs. A smaller $2,683.42 portion will be used to help train election officials and poll workers.
HAVA encouraged counties to move to an electronic voting system, but Indiana County bucked that trend a few years ago, instead opting for a system of paper ballots that are scanned by a machine that counts the votes.
Since New York's state election board has expressed interest in Indiana County's method, three representatives from the county--commissioner Rod Ruddock, chief clerk Robin Maryai, and the director of information services, John Luko--will attend a meeting of the election board in Chautauqua, N.Y., Monday and Tuesday to discuss the electronic scanning system. New York plans to implement that system and scrap its old electronic voting machines.
"The purpose is to meet with all the election officials of New York state and talk about the successes we've enjoyed in Indiana County with our election program," Ruddock said. "They're asking us how they can best implement the plan based on our success. It's a very proud moment for Indiana County."
There will be about 100 New York election officials at the meeting.
In other matters, the county commissioners re-hired Susquehanna Group Advisors, Inc. to help the county in the second phase of its update of financial software.
Last July, the county purchased MUNIS financial management software from Tyler Technologies to replace an old DOS-based system.
"It allows us to better manage and be stewards of our financial affairs," Ruddock said of the software. "We did not have daily accountability of our financial status."
Susquehanna helped with the first phase, transfer financial records to the new system. In the second phase, it will help to transfer payroll information.
The company will be paid between $27,000 and $31,000 to complete the work.
The commissioners also:
• Entered into a contract agreement with Stiffler, McGraw & Associates of Hollidaysburg for an inflow/infiltration study for the Black Legs and Tunnelton sewage systems in Conemaugh Township. The contract amount is for $10,000 and is funded through the county's 2007 community development block grant.
• Passed separate resolutions to sign cooperation agreements with the Burrell Township supervisors and the Burrell Township Sewer Authority for an inflow/infiltration study for the Black Lick and Josephine sewage collection systems.
• Accepted an emergency management performance grant for $52,353 from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The grant is given annually to the county.
• Passed a resolution urging the state and federal government to consider funding for a cure for food allergies.
• Appointed Jim Kuemmerle to the Southwest Behavioral Health Management board of directors and Dr. Donna L. Hosmer, Blairsville, to the Armstrong/Indiana Mental Health and Mental Retardation board.
Officials remember Linda Moore Mack
Indiana County officials Wednesday remembered longtime county prothonotary and clerk of courts Linda Moore Mack, who died last Thursday at Indiana Regional Medical Center following an illness.
Mack, 54, had served as the county's prothonotary since being elected in 1983. She was re-elected in November of last year after being unopposed on the ballot.
"This has been a very difficult week for the courthouse," commissioner Rod Ruddock said. "We are going to miss Linda Moore Mack in Indiana County as our prothonotary and clerk of courts."
In addition to serving in her elected position, Mack was active in the community as well. She chaired the committee that organized the celebration of Indiana resident Jimmy Stewart's 75th birthday in 1983. She also helped put together the celebration of Indiana borough's 175th year anniversary of settlement.
Mack had been out of the courthouse for several months while she was battling her illness. During that time, Judy Wolfe served as the acting prothonotary and she has been appointed to temporarily fill that position.
The official replacement will be named by Gov. Ed Rendell sometime in the near future. Since Mack was a Republican, top Indiana County officials in that party will meet and decide on a recommendation for Rendell.
