The state house passed a bill Wednesday that will fund the 2017-18 budget without a tax increase.

On Thursday, the Carbon County commissioners shared their thoughts about the budget, which draws from several restricted funds to balance the budget.The commissioners praised the Legislature for deciding not to raid dedicated funds for 911 and fire companies. But they also questioned why the state continues to pillage restricted funds as a short-term fix for their chronic budget problems.Commissioner's Chairman Wayne Nothstein credited fire, police and ambulance workers who opposed plans to raid the funds."They have spoken, and their voices were heard in Harrisburg, and they were successful," Nothstein said. "But we still have a long battle to go with the budget."Nothstein said that the revenue package still depends on taking money out of other dedicated funds, including grants for public transit and infrastructure. Counties and municipalities end up having to raise taxes to cover the money that they would have received from the pillaged funds.He said that he's seen firsthand the effect of one-time budget fixes - whether it was tobacco settlement money or funds for county conservation districts.In particular, he said, it's affected training classes for first responders and sheriff's deputies. Sheriff Tony Harvilla said that the Legislature took money out of that fund for its expenses several years ago."I believe those were taken out to address past budget issues. Now it's coming back to haunt us this fiscal year," Harvilla said.Commissioner William O'Gurek said that regardless of party, the state Legislature has been irresponsible. Dedicated funds shouldn't be raided for general use."It's irresponsible of the state Legislature, number one, to pass a budget with a $2 billion deficit, but number two, to raid other funds to finally come up with what they say the money is," he said.O'Gurek tied the problem to the recent rock slide along Route 209 on Jim Thorpe's Mansion House Hill. He said that the state has been irresponsible there as well."Those rocks are as big as a car, and they're sitting there out on one lane. It's a mess, and there's no reason why that shouldn't be cleaned up before more of it comes down," he said.Commissioner Tom Gerhard said that about two weeks before the rock slide, he attended a meeting on the topic with officials from PennDOT and the Northeast Pa. Alliance, which is in charge of doling out federal highway funds for projects in the area.He said that PennDOT identified 14 areas of rock wall that they want to secure, including removing trees, at a cost of $1.8 million. But he said he was told they are not sure how to fund the project."They're just lucky that no one got killed. It's extremely sad what goes on every day, it's frustrating at times to sit hear and have to deal with things like that," he said.