A lawsuit in Commonwealth Court appealing the approval of the Erie County Community College by the state Board of Education was dropped this week. County leaders released the following statements:
County Executive Dahlkemper issues statement after former Sen. Scarnati withdraws appeal of Erie County Community College
County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper has released the following statement after former Sen. Joseph Scarnati III’s attorneys notified the county’s attorneys that he is withdrawing his appeal challenging the establishment of the Erie County Community College:
“I am pleased to hear that former Senator Scarnati has decided to abandon his appeal and remove his objection to the Erie County Community College. We expect paperwork to be filed with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania very soon.
“His decision to withdraw the appeal is in the best interest of Erie County because it enables the Erie County Community College to move forward without any unnecessary impediments.
“The board of trustees can concentrate their efforts solely on building a successful institution that offers educational opportunities for all residents and supports the vitality and economic future of Erie County.
“I am grateful for our legal team and the widespread support from local business owners, community leaders, volunteers, educators, and Empower Erie that got us to this point.”
Erie County Community College Gains Momentum
The Erie County Community College (ECCC) gained even more momentum today, as the legal challenge of the State Board of Education’s decision to approve the College’s application has been withdrawn. This follows yesterday’s announcement by Governor Wolf that funding for the College is included in his 2021-2022 Budget Proposal to the State Assembly. The appeal was filed by former Senator Joseph Scarnati after the State Board of Education’s July 8, 2020 decision by to make ECCC the 15th Community College and the first one to be established in over 25 years.
Carl Anderson III, Chairman of Erie County Council was ecstatic: “The withdrawal of the challenge to the Erie County Community College verifies the strength in our position. Governor Wolf’s decision to include us in the Community College budget and RACP funding has added tremendously to that strength. No less important is the courage and leadership shown by Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman has shown in recognizing that the legal challenge was not a position worth continuing. I applaud him for his decision.
The ongoing momentum of the Erie County Community College is remarkable, and surely linked to the groundwork laid by Empower Erie and the wide ranging unity of community support for this effort. Still there remains a lot of work to do and we cannot afford to lose focus on continuing that work. We need to insure we remain funded in the budget through the Legislative process and beyond. We will remain vigilant to those ends and to providing Educational Opportunities to all the residents of Erie County and to provide a trained workforce so our business owners remain competitive and productive.”
Carl Anderson III
Chairman, Erie County Council
