Lackawanna County unveils $35 million bond plan to repair roads, bridges and county facilities

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners held the first reading of an ordinance authorizing up to $35,000,000 in general-obligation bonds to fund a multi‑phase capital improvements program for roads, bridges and county facilities.

County Chief Financial Officer Dave Bolzoni said the ordinance would (1) refund approximately $11,990,000 in short-term notes issued in December 2023, (2) modify the interest rate on a $14,225,000 note issued in December 2023, and (3) issue a new short‑term note of about $17,500,000 to fund a second phase of capital projects. “Phase 1” work funded earlier by 2023 notes principally covered roads and bridges; phase 2 would target additional bridges and related projects, Bolzoni said.

The nut of the plan, Bolzoni told commissioners, is addressing projects that engineering assessments classify as in “poor” condition. He outlined dozens of specific projects across the county that were included in the two phases, naming the Center Street repaving, Montage Mountain resurfacing, Gordon Avenue stormwater improvements in Carbondale, the G.C. Smith Road bridge replacement in Elmhurst Township, and a large list of bridge replacements and retaining‑wall projects dispersed across boroughs and townships.

Bolzoni said the county maintains 154 bridges and about 35 miles of roadway under direct county jurisdiction and that four bridges had been closed since the 2023 project list was compiled, which increased the funding need. He said a prior short‑term note issued in 2023 matures in June 2025 and must be refinanced. He also said the county expects to spend proceeds for certain tax‑exempt financings within a three‑year federal spend‑down window.

Bolzoni and staff described several funding offsets and grants tied to specific projects: a $2,500,000 FEMA grant for Dam Number 5 reconstruction (county match $1,382,000 included in the proposed borrowing); a $1,400,000 PennDOT multimodal grant for the Plank Road Bridge in Clifton Township (county match $800,000); a $1,400,000 PennDOT contribution for the Stauffer roadway project; a $1,000,000 PennDOT contribution for the Gordon Avenue project; and $2,000,000 in county vehicle registration fee funds matched with $2,000,000 from PennDOT for the G.C. Smith Road bridge project. Bolzoni said the county’s $5 registration fee brings in roughly $1 million a year and is being dedicated to road and bridge work after completion of the G.C. Smith project.

On debt service, Bolzoni reviewed the county’s 2025 budget projections and said the plan would not force a millage increase for debt service in 2026 because the county intends to draw on balances in the debt service fund; projected debt service for 2026 was estimated at about $23.4 million. He said projected debt service is not expected to exceed $24 million and cited a long‑term relief point in 2036 when a scheduled reduction in debt service would, in his estimate, equate to roughly an 8‑mill reduction in present value terms.

Commissioners asked questions and thanked staff for the detailed analysis. Commissioner Bill Gahan said the package “finally addresses roads and bridges throughout Lackawanna County” and described the plan as responsible and forward‑thinking. The ordinance was presented as a first reading; the second and final reading is scheduled at the commissioners’ next meeting.

The ordinance does not take effect until the board completes required readings and any subsequent sale or issuance of bonds, and county staff said the phase 2 short‑term note would later be refinanced over a 20–25 year period if the board chooses that path.

Why this matters: county officials said the program is intended to create momentum on deferred infrastructure work, reduce public‑safety risk from deteriorating bridges and roads, and preserve assets over the long term. The presentation emphasized that most projects were rated in poor condition and that failure to act would likely escalate costs and safety issues.

What remains open: the ordinance was only at first reading; specific issuance dates, final sale terms and any final project prioritization will be finalized in subsequent meetings. County staff said the board should continue to seek grants and other revenue sources to reduce the amount of long‑term borrowing.