[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6487281,"mediaKeyId","5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8","parentId",5692613,"title","SRI outlines downtown revitalization plan; asks Sunbury for initial $10,000 contribution and supports Main Street designation","audioSeconds",302,"startMs",1927000,"endMs",2229000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8&start=1927&end=2229","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8/thumbnail_1927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6487281/Sunbury-City/Northumberland-County/Pennsylvania/SRI-outlines-downtown-revitalization-plan-asks-Sunbury-for-initial-10000-contribution-and-supports-Main-Street-designation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487281-bb25fb255049c3d9aa524c5b6bd68615/orig.mp4?Expires=1775112469&Signature=d0HKqZ9JbjMAbogTldtVJ00p9XTDfJvlx8Pvy2uwqO4DR7ywOxp023jB1SboWF3ONjigzuLVk9tV3HYqNhp4Z3sBnJHepM~L2V7iow5uwvZ1eATJWvBuRk~LXhu5r-I7zzhO6HjYYuqUQVBQKSvFFu8-FupboB8~O8DH8GJLiY4sxosL-tA8ETx0DOQ-YOMXjLmm8ycxU0SVOwshCy7PJIZ-Nb6d7Qgl-TbL~dKsTHFUK7sHj1r42IxSZnCE1IP3Pk5Hii90b7nJ90VKKq4JBokx9dST5Kmosil8Kn34INSUZmIlPLcZ3KQpbSgtvuD7tzIsM0FIBix231TZMvQlSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sunbury City, PA","date","2025-08-11T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of SRI (an anchor nonprofit for downtown work) briefed Sunbury City officials on a five-year downtown revitalization implementation plan that aligns with the city’s near-complete comprehensive plan and requested an initial municipal contribution to seed a downtown management program.

SRI’s representative said the organization will implement portions of the comprehensive plan through a dedicated downtown revitalization strategy and proposed a downtown manager position to coordinate property inventory, marketing and events. SRI presented an initial salary ballpark of about $45,000 a year for a full-time downtown manager and noted the Pennsylvania Downtown Center’s higher national recommendation; staff said the downtown manager would likely be located in the Albright Center or another downtown space.

Funding and designation

SRI told councilmembers it intends to apply for a Main Street designation in 2026, which would make the community eligible for operational funds from the state program: $75,000 per year initially for two years, tapering to $50,000 and then $25,000 in later years. SRI requested the city consider a $10,000 annual contribution to support the downtown manager and the downtown management program, noting the designation’s state funding is intended to be matched by local contributions and nonprofit partnerships.

Program elements and measures of success

SRI outlined measures of success tied to property utilization: forming a downtown task force, completing a property inventory, selecting priority properties, and tracking increases in occupancy or use year over year. SRI said the downtown management office would also handle marketing, events, training and designation applications.

Next steps

SRI said its strategic plan will be finalized in October and that action plans with timelines will begin this fall; the organization asked the council to consider a modest contribution for the first year as the program launches. Councilmembers asked about sustainability and long-term compensation for the downtown manager; SRI said communities typically supplement initial Main Street funds with municipal, nonprofit and business contributions to retain staff beyond early grant support.

Ending

Councilmembers did not vote on funding at the workshop. Staff said they will review SRI’s request and consider including a contribution in budget discussions, and SRI indicated it will return with finalized plans and timelines for implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sunbury, PA City Council Budget Work Session 08/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","SRI presented a five-year downtown revitalization plan tied to the city’s comprehensive plan, proposed a downtown manager position with a $45,000 starting salary budget estimate, and requested a $10,000 initial municipal contribution to support downtown management and implementation.","taxTitle","Sunbury City, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania","taxId",52202,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487286,"Sunbury leaders cite police staffing shortage and explore grants, co-responder and authority options",673,69000,742000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8&start=69&end=742","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8/thumbnail_69000.jpg","/articles/6487286/Sunbury-City/Northumberland-County/Pennsylvania/Sunbury-leaders-cite-police-staffing-shortage-and-explore-grants-co-responder-and-authority-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487286-3cb6379665b9a494ad9a7bef725172d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775112469&Signature=YPnkyRMUgsP8s5CkzicKe~6wVW2ELbvjcuohXz~9ozQL58lgYyn6-cVVKbxDmFN9wPyfVRdDogncoI0EeYV6zU~9TXumMD4mOfLLNamu0T2VTgVcqhJFC0x6q20Mkpohda6VFh9Hvo~-V9kltulm9Uk0nHnPVksR03iMz76Qr-Kzjva97v0svBNTsTgSjXURsV~jx1vShW9acpuv1gWaAlSNAyB-fHW5Hd19f40ANySHkbm5N79h959imWt38n2hDI4E7w2ySKhr-wD18ilS2MNIyI3-1Zd5Tbt3j0gRQclTOdWELW4-1VjtamYZXy9IF6dGKaxQ38sHTvRKET2Dew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sunbury City councilmembers and staff discussed police staffing shortages, the city’s pursuit of grant funding to offset hiring costs and possible structural options for funding emergency services.

Officials said the police department is short of full staffing and that call volume has increased, creating operational strain. One speaker summarized recent call volume from the 911 center as “800 calls” for a recent period and described lengthy investigations that limit officers’ availability for other responses.

Grant and staffing options

City staff described a grant approach discussed with staff identified as Derek that would provide $50,000 tied to three officers over five years; officials characterized that funding stream as potentially covering up to $150,000 if fully awarded, but they cautioned the city must budget for the full cost in case grants do not materialize.

Mental-health co-responder

Councilmembers asked about a police co-responder model to place a mental-health or behavioral-health professional on calls alongside officers. Staff said the program model discussed is not a standalone grant but rather a service element that can be folded into other grant applications. Staff said the co-responder would not carry a weapon and would focus on follow-up and referrals; multiple participants described the program as reimbursable over some years depending on grant terms.

Authority/fee option and legal questions

Several participants raised the possibility of creating a separate emergency-services authority that would levy a fee (somewhere compared in discussion to $5–$10 or a $10-per-household model referenced elsewhere) to pay for emergency services rather than increasing general tax rates. Staff and councilmembers said the legality depends on the municipality’s classification and state law; one staff member said they do not have a “concrete answer” yet and that Joel and others would research whether a third-class city can create such an authority or whether a separate authority would be required.

Operational context

Staff and councilmembers repeatedly framed public safety costs as among the largest drivers of budget increases. Speakers noted that some mutual aid arrangements cannot routinely divert neighboring departments to cover daily calls, and that specific major incidents (robbery at gunpoint, multiple homicides) have strained available officers.

Ending

No policy was adopted at the workshop. Councilmembers instructed staff to continue grant research, report back on legal options for fee-based authorities, and provide updated staffing and cost figures for the formal budget process.","Council and staff said the police department is operating under staffing shortages, discussed a possible COPS grant, co-responder mental-health support, and the legal/structural option of a separate emergency-services authority to fund services by fee.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487290,"Sunbury officials say preliminary budget runs about $300,000 over; urge structural changes and revenue focus",0,930000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8&start=930&end=930","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692613-bcd833e5b9924d9f986092cac3f409d8/thumbnail_930000.jpg","/articles/6487290/Sunbury-City/Northumberland-County/Pennsylvania/Sunbury-officials-say-preliminary-budget-runs-about-300000-over-urge-structural-changes-and-revenue-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487290-e7197a00f7e3599405282024c3650e17/orig.mp4?Expires=1775112469&Signature=PO9uLlgZi~NHDtp4d~Xa3UPAvyckuqdF7LMj08nU1heMoRgoi4-XPg9GXZ9O6qNJ2~ljXtvrgH0bh4M1PxEX49G68rbgi2gc3uLFEKQhRbKea7KsgzDXXph1ciN5wFHqjbGUUCfSgMMePlBF2N6cec9HYhWCaN0P~ikDYZ8ccaoUe9pyuey8JyUrv7sYWJtzABa5hUZ01HXluZnnWPdb-HOBX4DgYS~Y0dFBcFQiMT442sPF7uFJTe3K2SUYuqxI4gzKIlV9vgrz583sH2WaNxbRDVVwqz~G8zQPMRrd~WPQ6ephgdhM1Hyq~a7~GOJD~nCSCtDqqM0E7bMSChDmag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a budget workshop, Sunbury City officials said the city’s preliminary budget is about $300,000 over current estimates and discussed a mix of cost reductions and revenue strategies to close the gap.

The councilmember who opened the discussion said, “We're $300,000 over,” and framed the session as a heads-up on department estimates rather than a final submission. City staff and councilmembers discussed salary increases for the city administrator, clerk and administrative assistant, unspecified insurance cost increases, and contract-driven pay uplifts for police officers as major upward pressures on the preliminary totals.

Why it matters: officials said recurring personnel and benefit costs are the primary drivers of the shortfall, and several councilmembers pressed for a multi-year financial approach instead of repeating the same annual budgeting process. “We keep kicking the can down the road every year,” one councilmember said, urging a new approach that would prioritize mandatory costs first, then discretionary spending.

Discussion and details

- Personnel and insurance: The city identified salary increases and yet-to-be-determined insurance premiums as central uncertainties. Departments said they lack final insurance rates from brokers and have used rough salary estimates for the preliminary totals.

- Police contract and grants: Staff noted the police salary increases were a major line-item pressure. Officials discussed a federal/state COPS-style grant the city has pursued to offset police hiring costs; staff said the grant structure being discussed would provide $50,000 tied to three officers over five years (discussed as $150,000 total if fully awarded). Councilmembers emphasized the need to budget conservatively in case grant awards do not materialize.

- Revenue-side options: Participants suggested several revenue strategies to reduce reliance on general fund appropriations, including: investing in recreation to attract visitors and events; revisiting rental and lease charges on city-owned parcels; creating or capitalizing a dedicated fund for future capital needs; and exploring fee-based authorities (see public safety authority discussion in a related article). One councilmember proposed, as an example, a $5–$10 per property emergency services fee used in other municipalities; staff cautioned legal and structural questions remain.

- Grants dependency and contingency planning: Multiple speakers warned the city currently relies heavily on grants for capital projects and programming. They discussed the need to plan for scenarios in which federal or state grant funding declines, pointing to liquid fuels revenue volatility and a county reassessment that could change tax revenues.

- Parking meters and user-fee revenue: Staff reported parking meter revenue and related payment app receipts have improved compared with expectations; coin and pay-by-text collections were cited as revenue sources, though the full operating cost of the meter program was not specified during the discussion.

Next steps and constraints

Councilmembers agreed the city must move beyond annual ad hoc adjustments and develop a multi-year budgeting framework (5–10 years) that sequences mandatory costs and targets revenue generation where feasible. Several councilmembers asked department heads to return with line-item breakdowns and firm insurance figures after broker estimates arrive.

Ending

The group did not adopt changes at the workshop; attendees characterized the meeting as an early review to refine line-item submissions and to identify structurally different budgeting options for the upcoming formal budget process. Staff and councilmembers said they will follow up with more precise numbers and proposed revenue or expenditure scenarios in future budget meetings.","At a Sunbury City budget workshop, officials reported a roughly $300,000 preliminary shortfall, highlighted rising salary and benefit costs, and debated longer-term revenue strategies including investing in recreation, creating dedicated funds and pursuing grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

SRI outlines downtown revitalization plan; asks Sunbury for initial $10,000 contribution and supports Main Street designation

Sunbury leaders cite police staffing shortage and explore grants, co-responder and authority options

Sunbury officials say preliminary budget runs about $300,000 over; urge structural changes and revenue focus