Susquehanna County officials approve personnel changes, contracts and proclamations; resident urges regional police

Susquehanna County commissioners on Aug. 13, 2025 approved a package of personnel changes, purchase-of-service agreements, technology and maintenance contracts, and proclamations, and heard a public comment calling for better local policing or a regional police model.

A resident who identified themself as a member of a local fire department told commissioners that crimes in the county include murders, shootings, stabbings and home invasions and argued boroughs lack adequate police coverage. The resident suggested the new sheriff help organize a regional police force so municipalities could hire and share officers to increase coverage. "Maybe there's a way the new sheriff could help set up our regional police force and coordinate it with the municipalities," the resident said.

Commissioner Darryl responded during the public comment period that Pennsylvania sheriffs do not have the arrest powers used in some other states and that giving the sheriff such powers would create a substantial new county cost. "If they ever got the arrest powers, the cost that would be onto the county to do that, we'd probably have to hire probably about 30 individuals and buy about 10 more cars," Commissioner Darryl said, adding that would drive up local taxes. He also said small boroughs that decline to fund police departments limit options for local coverage.

Nut graf: The meeting advanced routine county operations — staffing, technology and vendor contracts — but the public comment underscored ongoing local concerns about law enforcement coverage and who bears the cost of expanded policing. Several approved items affect county human-services staffing and operations: salary-grid adjustments and hourly increases for Children & Youth Services positions (state-funded in part), new and eliminated positions, and transfers and terminations. Commissioners also approved a retirement-fund custodian contract and several vendor agreements affecting public-safety communications and building systems.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes of July 23, 2025 — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second by Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved unanimously. - Ratify changes to Susquehanna County salary grid — Motion by Commissioner Darryl; second by Commissioner Mac Murray; outcome: approved unanimously. - Children & Youth increases: $3.88 per hour increase for specified full-time union and nonunion Children & Youth positions (including caseworker roles and director positions); commissioners said about 80% of those positions are state-funded — Motion(s) by commissioners listed on the record; outcome: approved unanimously. - Create and eliminate positions in Children & Youth as listed on the agenda (including creation of union case-aid transportation and service specialist positions and elimination of other positions), and grade changes and transfers for social-services roles — Motions by commissioners on the record; outcome: approved unanimously. - Purchase/maintenance and technology agreements: approval to replace UPS units at the Public Safety Center; a technical service agreement with Zito Business for fiber circuits for 9-1-1; change order No. 1 for AV improvements at the Public Safety facility; and a maintenance/software agreement with Johnson Controls (as recorded) — Motions by commissioners on the record; outcome: approved unanimously. - Purchase-of-service agreements for children- and youth-related providers (multiple named vendors on the agenda, including Family Care and for Children and Youth Inc., Justice Youth Care, Preventive Aftercare, Families United Network) — Motions by commissioners on the record; outcome: approved unanimously. - Approve contract with First State Trust (Wilmington, Del.) to act as custodian for the Susquehanna County pension fund, including benefit payments, mailings and a call center, for an annual fee of $17,007.32; effective Aug. 13, 2025, with transition Jan. 1 stated — Motion by Commissioner Darryl (retirement board); second by Commissioner McNamara; outcome: approved unanimously. - Proclamations: Proclamation declaring August as Child Support Awareness Month in Susquehanna County; proclamation designating Aug. 26, 2025 as Women’s Equality Day in the county — Motions by commissioners on the record; outcome: approved unanimously.

Details and context The salary- and position-related votes were handled in the salary board portion of the meeting. Commissioners approved the 2026 holiday schedule and several grade and rate adjustments; for Children & Youth positions the board recorded a $3.88-per-hour increase for named roles and noted that roughly 80% of those salary costs are funded by the state. The board also approved creating certain union positions (case-aid transportation and a service specialist, grade 5) with an Aug. 13 effective date and eliminating other listed positions effective Aug. 18.

On retirement-board business, the board approved the custodial contract with First State Trust of Wilmington, Del., for $17,007.32 annually to manage pension fund custodial services, including benefit payments and participant communications; the contract was recorded as effective Aug. 13, 2025, with transition work to begin Jan. 1 (as stated in the motion).

On public-safety systems and facilities, the commissioners approved vendor agreements to replace worn UPS units at the Public Safety Center and a technical-services agreement with Zito Business for fiber circuits supporting 9-1-1 operations. The board also approved a change order described in the record as Change Order No. 1 for AV improvements at the public-safety facility and approved a Johnson Controls service agreement described in the record for maintenance and software upgrades for a building system noted in the minutes.

What commissioners said Commissioner Darryl (during public comment) emphasized county cost limits and local funding responsibilities, saying local boroughs that decline to pay for policing limit available options and that hiring experienced officers requires commensurate pay. "If you wanna hire a retired state trooper to come in and work part time ... you gotta pay the price," Commissioner Darryl said.

Ending: The board completed the listed agenda items and recessed the commissioners' meeting into the retirement-board portion before returning and adjourning; no additional follow-up hearings or dates tied to these specific approvals were stated on the record during the meeting.