Controller Jeff Balzer News Today

For the first time 13 years, Westmoreland County’s 1,400 retired government employees will not receive cost-of-living increases. “This is a very difficult budget and one where we couldn’t afford to do a COLA this year. Difficult decisions had to be made,” said Commissioner Ted Kopas. Retirees received 8.1% cost-of-living increases

When a 16-year-old charged with second-degree murder fled from house arrest in November, Westmoreland County authorities scrambled to find a place to house him. The county’s juvenile detention center had closed temporarily in June amid staffing shortages. Calls to numerous private and publicly owned facilities throughout Pennsylvania that house children

Republicans will retain control of the Westmoreland County board of commissioners. Incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew were reelected Tuesday to second terms in office and will continue to serve as the board majority along with Democrat Ted Kopas. Democrat Lisa Gephart finished fourth. With all 307 precincts reporting, Kertes

Westmoreland County commissioners have agreed to settle a lawsuit that claimed excessive force was used against a teen at the county’s juvenile detention center in Hempfield. In the federal lawsuit, the teen said four corrections officers at the Regional Youth Services Center put him into a choke hold and slammed

After about two and a half years leading the Westmoreland County Prison, Bryan Kline resigned as warden just as Monday’s prison board meeting was set to begin. The last-minute move was approved by the board immediately after a brief executive session related to personnel at the start of the meeting.

The Westmoreland County Prison still needs more corrections officers and will conduct interviews in January to fill 16 positions, the prison warden said. Warden Bryan Kline will conduct the interviews and agility tests at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 9 at the county prison, off Route 119 in Hempfield. The board approved

The Westmoreland County Prison has put out a “help wanted” sign for guards — 29 in all. “We definitely have an urgent need for corrections officers,” Warden Bryan Kline said during a prison board meeting this week. Kline said the county has made “significant progress” in reducing the number of

A monthslong search for a public information officer for Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is nearly over after commissioners agreed to a 50% salary increase before the job is even filled. The county’s salary board, which includes all three commissioners and Controller Jeff Balzer, approved raising the salary for

Westmoreland County and its 11 largest municipalities will split nearly $3 million this year as part of the first installments paid out from a $26 billion national settlement of a federal lawsuit with drug manufacturers implicated in the opioid epidemic. Commissioners on Thursday approved a resolution to receive the county’s

Westmoreland officials on Thursday are expected to consolidate leadership of the county’s public works department and election bureau. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey has served in a dual capacity for the past year after he was named as interim director of the election bureau following the June 2021 firing of