Vereb and DiCicco say a complete financial audit of Delaware River Port Authority is needed first

As a result of recent allegations over the misuse of public funds by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) and New Jersey State Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco Jr. (R-Gloucester) today called on the agency to refrain from implementing proposed toll hikes, scheduled to take place next July, until a full accounting of its funds is completed.

“The DRPA needs a reality check,” Vereb said.  “The agency needs to take a good look in the mirror and clean house before it passes on the burden of a toll increase onto hard-working taxpayers.”

“The brazen and callous disregard for the use of public dollars is appalling,” DiCicco said.  “This agency has gone unchecked for far too long.  We need to reform the DRPA from the top down in order to restore the public’s trust.  Until we accomplish that goal, I don’t believe it is appropriate to be increasing the tolls.”

The DRPA is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance four bridges crossing the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  This $300-million-a year bi-state agency is funded by the $4 tolls that commuters pay to cross the bridges.  The DRPA has proposed increasing tolls to $5 in July of 2011.

Over the past two weeks, the DRPA has come under heavy scrutiny for mismanagement and a lack of transparency regarding the agency’s policies.  This past week the DRPA’s Public Safety Director Michael Joyce resigned after reports surfaced of his misuse of a publicly-funded E-ZPass transponder.  On top of that, Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner recently said that the DRPA’s finances have not been independently audited since 2001. 

Earlier this week Vereb and DiCicco sent a joint letter to U.S. Attorneys in Pennsylvania and New Jersey asking for an investigation into the actions of the DRPA.

Rep. Mike Vereb

150th District

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

(610) 409-2615

(717) 705-7164

Contact:  Tricia Graham

tgraham@pahousegop.com

(717) 260-6296

Member Site:  RepVereb.com

Caucus Site:  PAHouseGOP.com