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Our opinion: Borrowing a slippery slope

We can’t think of many who would argue that Warren County didn’t need a bond issue to pay for new radio towers. No one wants to have communications among first responders in a critical situation stop because it’s raining - which can happen with the old towers with copper wire. We’ve known for a while that the three radio towers the county plans to replace were going to have to be paid for with a bond issue at some point. That time is now. The $5.2 million emergency radio tower upgrade will include installation of three new towers – one in Sugar Grove, one in Elk and one ...

Our opinion: Garden Club deserves thanks

For six decades a group of dedicated volunteers have spent their spare time making sure Warren looked its best. We’re talking, of course, about the Warren Garden Club, a group that has spent years tending to city gardens in parks throughout the city and at Warren General Hospital as well. The group has disbanded as its membership numbers has decreased in recent years as members got older and were more and more unable to keep up with the club’s work. What has happened to the Warren Garden Club isn’t uncommon. The Federated Garden Club of Pennsylvania is seeing membership in ...

Our opinion: Act now on reassessment

Many Warren County property owners are getting letters with their new tentative property reassessments and next steps in the process. We’re sure many - particularly those who have seen their assessment increase - have questions. Now is the time to ask them. The entier process of reassessing properties is to make sure everyone is paying their fair share. For years some have been paying too much in property taxes while others weren’t really paying their fair share - particularly those whose properties were purchased closer to the last countywide property reassessment. It’s ...

Our opinion: Drive downtown parking study

City Council members have approved a smaller, $3 million project to fix the worst of the issues in the Clark Street parking garage. The smaller rehabilitation project won’t be the last time we talk about the Clark Street garage. And, in our opinion, our next talk should include whether the Clark Street garage needs to continue to exist. Mike Holtz, city manager, said before the COVID-19 pandemic the Clark Street garage was typically 90% filled with usage at its highest levels the year before the pandemic. But the past five years have seen decreasing use of the Clark Street garage. ...

Our opinion: Drive downtown parking study

City Council members have approved a smaller, $3 million project to fix the worst of the issues in the Clark Street parking garage. The smaller rehabilitation project won’t be the last time we talk about the Clark Street garage. And, in our opinion, our next talk should include whether the Clark Street garage needs to continue to exist. Mike Holtz, city manager, said before the COVID-19 pandemic the Clark Street garage was typically 90% filled with usage at its highest levels the year before the pandemic. But the past five years have seen decreasing use of the Clark Street garage. ...

Our opinion: Efficiency is not all that bad

Polls show many Americans are increasingly unhappy with the way the federal government has use President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. That doesn’t mean Pennsylvania Republicans’ efforts to pursue a Pennsylvania Department of Government Efficiency are doomed. We think Republicans will have a harder time now getting DOGE legislation through the state House and Gov. Josh Shapiro than they would have back in January or February. That’s unfortunate, because the idea behind a government efficiency effort could pay big dividends not only in Pennsylvania but in ...