Carbon County commissioners are frustrated with the state’s unfunded mandates, flat funding levels and lack of action on proposed legislation to help the commonwealth’s 67 counties.

At their meeting Thursday, Carbon Commissioner Wayne Nothstein unloaded on the state lawmakers who seem to shelf legislation considered priorities by those running county government.

Carbon’s commissioners attended their state association’s conference at the Kalahari Resort recently, where county leaders discussed a myriad of topics touching everything from agriculture to veterans’ affairs, he said.

But frustration rose when discussions turned to stalled state legislation that came out of their sessions — some as far back as January 2025, Nothstein said.

“Some of the things proposed by committees have gotten absolutely nowhere,” he said. “They went to (state legislative) committee and whether they talk about the legislation or bills, we have no idea.

“Many of the commissioners are fed up with what’s not going on in Harrisburg,” Nothstein said, noting that it’ll likely affect elections next year. “It’s extremely frustrating trying to get any of the House bills or Senate bills passed. They don’t even talk about them, as far as I know.”

The top three priorities for county commissioners now are 911, mental health and reassessment, which Nothstein said were major talking points at these sessions.

“Like the 911, they keep pushing it off,” he said. “Well, we got to do a study. Well, how many studies do you have to do before you do something, for crying out loud. That’s what’s frustrating.”

County commissioners have been asking state legislators for an increase in the monthly statewide 911 fee from $1.95 to $2.20 to take more of the burden off county coffers to fund 911 operations. The proposed increase failed to make the 2026-27 budget.

“You go back years when they were talking about 911, and they have yet to come up with solution for a fair distribution formula,” Nothstein said. “And it’s really hurting counties.”

The state takes 2% of revenues from the 911 fee to fund a state 911 program, which amounts to more than $7 million, he said.

“What are they doing with that $7 million?” Nothstein asked. “Yet, we get nothing. I have gone through this how many times about flat funding. It’s not only this program. It’s also our aging.

“Who makes up the difference? The counties,” he said. “Who has to raise taxes to provide those services? It’s the county commissioners.”

Commissioner Chair Michael Sofranko agreed with Nothstein’s point about flat funding from the state, as there is no additional investment, or money, being put into programs.

“They’ll talk about some adjustment here and there, but it’s a flat funded budget,” he said, noting that some would call the lack of additional spending as being fiscally conservative, but it creates problems for counties.

“I don’t have a problem with a flat funded budget. I don’t think anybody here at the county does, as long as you don’t give us things that we have to do and figure out how to pay for it,” Sofranko said.

“It’s a little rough for the county, not only Carbon County, but every county,” he said.

One of the issues raised was reassessment, which Carbon County has not done since 1999. A county-wide reassessment could cost upward of $12 million, the commissioners have said.

“It’s an ongoing debate around the state as to how that is handled,” Sofranko said. “The counties more or less took a stance on the fact that if it gets forced, the county can’t pay the entire assessment.

“Everyone benefits from that reassessment, whether it’s the county, the school districts, the townships and the boroughs,” he said, adding that cost sharing has be factored in.

Sofranko pointed out that the commissioners are gathering information to ensure they’re prepared for whatever comes or doesn’t come from the state, he said.

Solicitor Robert Frycklund said that it would be great to reassess regularly, but reassessments are “fantastically expensive.

“Where does the money come from for that? Ultimately, the taxpayer has to bear that burden,” he said.