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Susquehanna County commissioners approve contracts, hires, bids and set budget review date
Summary
At their Oct. 8 meeting, Susquehanna County commissioners approved a suite of contracts and personnel actions, awarded equipment and container bids, authorized grant applications and set a proposed 2026 budget for public review and later adoption.
Susquehanna County commissioners on Oct. 8 approved multiple contracts, personnel changes and bids and set a schedule to consider adoption of the proposed 2026 county budget.
The board approved a consulting contract with CAI for Children & Youth fiscal and GRAMA consulting services running Sept. 29, 2025, through June 30, 2026, at $115 per hour for fiscal consulting (estimated 913 hours) and $125 per hour for GRAMA consulting (estimated 360 hours) for a stated total of $149,009.95. The board also approved an agreement with United Charities Incorporated (West Hazleton) to provide juvenile placement and juvenile probation services at $185 per day (replacement services noted at $2.50 per day) for the July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026 contract year.
Other contracts and purchases approved included an agreement with the Montrose Area School District to print and mail 2025 Homestead/Farmstead exclusion notices at $0.22 per notice plus postage (effective Oct. 8, 2025), and ratification of a purchase order for a 01/2026 Chevy Equinox from Sherwood Chevrolet Tunkhannock under CoStars pricing.
Personnel actions approved by the commissioners included the hiring of Samantha Ward Kingsley as a full-time 9-1-1 telecommunicator, the hiring of Paul Slavic for an open full-time caseworker position (effective Oct. 9, 2025), the ratified termination of Destiny Williams from a 9-1-1 telecommunicator position effective Oct. 1, 2025, and the transfer of Athena Welch from field appraiser trainee to certified field appraiser.
The board approved awarding a bid for a 2017 Ford Explorer Interceptor to Art Derai of Park, New Jersey, at $13,700 and accepted two roll-off container bids: a 20-foot container to Reynold Bahari of Bath, New York, for $1,900 and a second container to Kevin Mostick for $2,150; one lot (Ballard’s metal drop-off) had no bids and the board moved to relist it.
Commissioners approved opioid remediation grant awards of $35,000 each to multiple providers listed on the agenda and several routine administrative items including minutes, seminar and travel requests, and payment of bills.
During the concurrent salary board and retirement board sessions, the salary board created one full-time, nonunion reentry case manager position (grade 11) with an annual salary of $65,005.86 effective Oct. 8, 2025. The retirement board approved removing Alliance Trust and Reliance Trust as trustees for county retirement plans, effective Dec. 31, 2025.
The county’s proposed 2026 budget, totaling $41,801,344.65, was announced as available for review in the courthouse lobby and online beginning Oct. 8, 2025; the commissioners will consider adoption of the proposed budget at their Nov. 19, 2025 meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (Sept. 24) — approved (motion and second recorded). - Pay bills — approved. - Proclamation 25-37: National Business Women’s Week (Oct. 19–23, 2025) — approved. - File application for 2025 Pennsylvania Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funds (resolutions on agenda) — approved. - Seminar and travel requests — approved. - Opioid remediation grant fund awards (multiple providers at $35,000 each) — approved. - CAI consulting contract (Children & Youth; $149,009.95 total; Sept. 29, 2025–June 30, 2026) — approved. - Montrose Area School District printing/mailing agreement (Homestead/Farmstead exclusion notices at $0.22 per notice + postage; effective Oct. 8, 2025) — approved. - Domestic relations solicitor agreement (John R. Williams Jr.; $100/hour; $50/hour training) — approved. - Ratify purchase: 01/2026 Chevy Equinox (Sherwood Chevrolet Tunkhannock, CoStars pricing) — approved. - United Charities Incorporated contract (juvenile services; $185/day; contract year beginning July 1, 2025) — approved. - Hiring of Samantha Ward Kingsley, full-time 9-1-1 telecommunicator — approved. - Hiring of Paul Slavic, full-time caseworker (grade 8; rate noted in minutes) — approved. - Ratified termination of Destiny Williams, 9-1-1 telecommunicator (effective Oct. 1, 2025) — approved. - Transfer of Athena Welch to certified field appraiser — approved. - Award bid: 2017 Ford Explorer Interceptor to Art Derai — approved ($13,700). - Roll-off container bids to Reynold Bahari ($1,900) and Kevin Mostick ($2,150); relist Ballard’s lot (no bids) — approved/relisted. - Proposed 2026 county budget ($41,801,344.65) announced available Oct. 8, 2025; adoption to be considered Nov. 19, 2025. - Salary board: create reentry case manager (grade 11) at $65,005.86 — approved. - Retirement board: remove Alliance Trust and Reliance Trust as trustees for county retirement plans (effective Dec. 31, 2025) — approved.
The meeting record shows these items carried by voice votes after motions and seconds; specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript. Several routine items were handled without extended discussion.
