Osche appointed board officer
Butler County might be better positioned to improve transportation issues as a result of the appointment of the county commissioners' chairwoman to the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.
The commission — which includes officials from 10 counties and Pittsburgh who collaborate for economic, transportation, business and other growth in the region — voted Monday afternoon to appoint Leslie Osche as secretary-treasurer of the board.
Dick Hadley, Cranberry Township supervisor and SPC board member who nominated Osche, said Osche will provide diversity among the officers as both a woman and a Republican in a traditionally Democratic commission.
He said as an officer, Osche will also have a heads up on the transportation grants available to local counties.
“I nominated her because she has been very engaged as a board member for the SPC since she's come into office as a commissioner,” Hadley said. “She's always reached out and tried to work on issues regardless of political affiliation to get meaningful funding for the region.”
Osche is also helping the retiring SPC director find a new director for the commission.
“I think she's knowledgeable and willing and able, and I think she'll be a great representative for the region,” Hadley said. “I was happy to nominate her.”
He added that the representatives from each of the 10 counties in the SPC made positive remarks about Osche when they learned he had nominated her for the secretary-treasurer slot.
“They commented on her knowledge and willingness to serve,” Hadley said. “She is very well respected by all the counties in the region.”
The SPC has not had an officer from Butler County since former Commissioner Jim Kennedy a decade ago.
Osche chuckled when asked why she thinks Hadley nominated her for an officer's position on the SPC board.
“All three of us (commissioners) have been active, vocal advocates for transportation dollars in the region,” she said.
She pointed to the $2 million federal BUILD grant the commissioners garnered for the county in December 2018.
“They've seen our commitment and passion (regarding transportation funding),” Osche said of the voting members of the SPC board.
She said the officer's position comes at a time when state transportation funding has been cut by 25 percent and Gov. Tom Wolf wants to tax the shale gas drillers that provide a significant portion of the transportation funds in the region.
“This is what makes this particularly challenging for us in the SPC,” Osche said. “It puts us in a delicate role to be able to come up with some solutions for our transportation challenges.”
She said a significant portion of the shortfall in state transportation funds is the result of Act 89, which diverted some of the funds to the state police for its operations.
“There are challenges on top of challenges,” Osche said of the SPC. “We have a lot of work to do and we know that.”
Osche said while it is not in the SPC bylaws, officers often move up through the ranks until they become chairman.
“This is a really big honor for me for a lot of reasons, but mostly it's a tremendous win for Butler County,” she said.
