County leader elected to regional post for statewide advocacy group

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone will represent District Five of the Pa. County Commissioners Association

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times

County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said she is pleased and honored to represent District Five of the state County Commissioners Association.

When local officials grapple with the aftershocks of state and federal mandates, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) provides a valuable resource, said Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone.

During an interview today, Cozzone said she was pleased and honored to be voted CCAP’s representative for District Five, an area that serves the southeastern portion of the state. The election took place last week during CCAP’s 126^th annual conference in Harrisburg.

“CCAP is a great organization that advocates for favorable state and federal legislation, programs and policies on behalf of Pennsylvania counties,” Cozzone said. “The organization is committed to service excellence through education, information, insurance, technology and other programs that support effective county government.”

Founded in 1886, CCAP, a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, aims to amplify the voice of county government. Membership includes the county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators, chief clerks and solicitors.

Cozzone said the advocacy group works on issues that ultimately affect the state’s taxpayers. For example, CCAP played a positive role in human-resources funding reform, recently convincing Gov. Tom Corbett to set up a block-grant pilot program to ensure that changes in funding allocation designed to provide greater flexibility work effectively. Because CCAP focuses on practical solutions to improve government, its efforts tend to be bipartisan, Cozzone said.

“I’m looking forward to working as an elected representative of the organization,” Cozzone said, calling CCAP “an asset for county residents.” For more information about CCAP, visit www.pacounties.org.