Weighting game: County executive employees should inspect scales
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Few people gave the Allegheny County Bureau of Weights and Measures a thought before former Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty started posting stickers emblazoned with his name on every gas pump in the jurisdiction. Suddenly, every customer who filled his or her own tank knew who the controller was and that his office was responsible for making sure the pumps properly measured a gallon.
Controller Chelsa Wagner would like to keep it that way, but County Executive Rich Fitzgerald makes a good case for changing things.
First there is the matter of the bureau's duties. In most other places, the state Agriculture Department inspects and tests pumps, scales, scanners and parking meters to make sure they are properly calibrated. Because of the density of retail outlets in Allegheny County, the state since 2002 has delegated the responsibility to the county bureau's three employees.
Until 2008, that bureau fell under the control of the county executive. At that time, though, former Executive Dan Onorato and Mr. Flaherty jointly favored moving the operation to the controller, and County Council agreed, including Mr. Fitzgerald.
One unanticipated consequence was Mr. Flaherty turning the stickers into a way to raise his profile with the public. That's not right, and the new controller shouldn't be able to do it.
The second, more substantive one is that the tasks appear to conflict with the controller's primary responsibility of auditing the performance of county agencies and functions. It raises the question of who then can audit the work of the auditor.
The fact of the matter is these duties have been performed with little controversy both while under the executive's jurisdiction and while under the controller's. Mr. Fitzgerald himself has characterized the dispute as "much ado about nothing."
Because there is the possibility of a conflict with the controller's auditing function, coupled with no compelling reason to keep the work in that office, the county would be better off eliminating potential trouble.
An added bonus is that Mr. Fitzgerald has promised the only information that will appear on gas pumps and scales is the name of the county bureau and its telephone number.
First Published February 2, 2012 12:00 am
