The Chester County Commissioners approved budgeting guidelines for 2010.  

The commissioners agreed the goal is to deliver governmental services, a significant portion of which are legally mandated, in the most efficient and most cost effective manner based on goals developed through the strategic planning process.  

"The county is going to make this budget process transparent," said Commissioners' Chair Terence Farrell.  

The commissioners' aim is to continue programs and services that preserve the quality of life of residents. Such programs and services resulted in the designation of the County of Chester as one of the top ten locations in America to live and raise a family.  

The guidelines listed priorities, including promoting and protecting the public health and environment, ensuring safe and secure communities, supporting the growth and development of a strong and vibrant economy for all residents, enhancing access to and us of transportation systems to reduce traffic congestion, managing growth and land use to preserve and optimize the quality of life, and to continue to exercise smart financial management and main the county's financial strength while minimizing the property tax burden.  

"The county is well served by the conservative budgeting process this board has used in the past," Commissioner Carol Aichele said. "I believe we will be in better financial shape later in the year than we are at this point. The economy will recover and it will be from the bottom up."  

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone also believes that the economy will rebound.  "I know that our economy will recover, as it always has, and I hope we will begin to see economic growth soon.  However, we don't know when the economy will begin to turn around and we may very well have to face difficult choices for the 2010 budget.  In a slow economy, the need in the community increases.   We will need to balance our obligation to help our citizens in need with our obligation to minimize the impact on taxpayers."  She also complimented department heads and senior staff for their excellent work and ongoing participation in the Strategic Plan and accelerated budget process.  "As we continue to work through Strategic Planning process, we will be able make better budget decisions relative to the immediate challenges that we face"  

The commissioners said 2010 will include challenge and difficult choices among many worthy competing interests. Such challenges include requests for more programs and services balanced against the reality of the current difficult economic environment in which the commissioners want to maintain fiscal responsibility with low taxes.  

Chester County Controller Val DiGiorgio III said, "As county Controller, I applaud the commissioners for focusing county government on the need to make tough choices in these trying times. Chester County must continue to lead the way in respecting taxpayers."