One McKean County commissioner on Wednesday said it was “not
appropriate” to hand out the salary figure for an employee of the
North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development
Commission, a feeling which flies in the face of federal law
indicating such matters are subject to public perusal.

Following a meeting of the agency’s executive board in Ridgway,
during which the panel accepted the resignation of Deputy Director
of Workforce Development Michael Lawrence, McKean County
Commissioner John Egbert, who serves as a member of the board, told
an Era correspondent the salary which Lawrence’s interim
replacement, Susie Snelick, would be earning would not be handed
out.

” … (That) information (is) not appropriate and would not be
given out …,” Egbert said, adding The Era had no right to ask for
the salary.

Egbert also indicated the media was able to sit in on the
executive board meetings “as a courtesy” despite what U.S. Rep.
John Peterson, R-Pa., thinks.

In 2003, Peterson led the charge against North Central when the
agency refused to turn over the salaries of high-ranking officials
to The Era, DuBois Courier-Express and the Clearfield County
controller’s office. The action followed the approval of 10-year
contracts for the administration at the commission; county
governments objected to the length of the contracts, noting they
would take away from the supervisory ability of the
commissioners.

The controversy eventually led to federal legislation, which
ensured that any economic development agency which receives federal
funding across the Appalachian Region would have to follow new
accountability standards, including making their audit statements,
annual budgets and minutes of meetings available upon request.

In addition, the legislation indicates the organizations must
give reasonable notification of their meetings to the public and
allow the public and press to attend the meetings.

On Wednesday evening, Peterson’s Communications Director Chris
Tucker said “while the congressman is not arbiter of the law, the
people have a right to know” the salaries of officials working at
North Central.

“What it really boils down to is that it’s the people’s money,”
Tucker said. “They need to observe the transparency rules.”

The situation began following the board meeting when an Era
correspondent approached new Executive Director Eric Bridges about
Snelick’s salary, which stands at “Grade 17.” Snelick will be
serving in an interim capacity, officials said.

It was at that point, during The Era’s conversation with
Bridges, that Egbert entered the conversation and told The Era that
the information would not be handed out.

A message seeking comment left for Egbert at his home Wednesday
was not immediately returned.

Officials said Lawrence’s resignation is effective Jan. 5.

(Era Correspondent Gretchen Rokosky contributed to this
report.)