WELCOME It has been a
pleasure and a privilege to serve the residents of Westmoreland County since 1996. Through this web site, I have promoted my vision for
our county and tried to better understand your concerns. Working together, we have promoted a
proactive, fiscally responsible agenda of growth, service, and safety. The challenge of
building on our success continues.
Please visit the
news section to learn more about
Westmoreland County government and my perspective about the many challenges we face. In the
politics section, I discuss current
issues from the local level up to the national political scene. The
views
section contains the monthly articles I write for the weekly papers.
I welcome your opinion on the important
issues facing Westmoreland County, as well as our state, nation, and world. To facilitate
the discussion, please visit my polls page. Please
e-mail
me with your questions, concerns, and ideas. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it both
informative and entertaining.
COUNTY NEWS -- December 18,
2009 Commissioner Balya Donates
$3,500 to County Charities and Vocational Schools --
Continuing a holiday tradition he began in 1996, Westmoreland
County Commissioner Tom Balya today announced $250 donations to
14 nonprofit charitable organizations and vocational technical
schools in Westmoreland County.
THE PEOPLE WE MEET New
on the photographs page, August 23, 2010, you'll find a
picture of Tom with Sonny Caruso and Casey Kacik at
Tom's golf outing. Go there by clicking on the picture in this section.
THE
DIFFICULTY IN MANAGING PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENSES
In these challenging times, public sector financial
management at all levels of government is often
criticized for its inability to control costs and "stay
within budget." It is indeed a constant challenge to set
and not exceed realistic spending targets. One event,
possibly two, will occur in Westmoreland County that
will be impossible to plan for financially: the Jennifer
Daugherty murder trial will be a death penalty case, and
District Attorney John Peck may also seek the death
penalty in the Kevin Murphy murder trial. This article
is not a philosophical argument for or against the death
penalty; rather, it is a description of how difficult it
is to manage public sector expenses. Click on the icon in
this section to read more.
STIMULUS
AIDS WESTMORELAND COUNTY GOVERNMENT
While there may be varying opinions about the
federal government's "stimulus" package, Westmoreland
County government will see a benefit that will allow us
to reduce energy consumption. By saving on energy costs,
we can slow spending and not reduce direct services to
constituents in need. We are finalizing the details of a
$3 million energy grant that is part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Click
on the icon in this section to read more.
Do you
believe that the U.S. Constitution
should be able to be amended so as
to better represent more
contemporary national beliefs and
practices?