Mifflin County commissioners approve routine finances, grant increase and multiple appointments

Mifflin County commissioners on Jan. 14 accepted the treasurer's report, approved a probation grant increase, authorized a custodial-parent counsel contract for 2025 and moved forward on several routine appointments and personnel items at a public meeting in Lewistown.

The actions affect county finances, public-safety staffing and local boards: commissioners accepted accounts-payable and payroll figures, approved tax-claim fees effective March 3, 2025, reappointed and appointed members to local authorities, and accepted a grant-in-aid for probation programs that county staff said is larger than last year.

The treasurer reported accounts payable of $920,349.18 and payroll of $378,510.36 for the reporting period. One account showed 18 checks and three electronic transfers totaling $306,401.83. The treasurer said the general account began the period with $906,220.31, had total debits of $1,531,448.55 and an ending balance of $1,138,809.32. The county's capital reserve was reported at $11,810,925.81. The treasurer also listed a $1,740 check to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), a CDBG account item of $1,188,693.59 and liquid-fuels checks totaling $20,936.68.

The board approved a proclamation designating January 2025 as United Way Month. Colette, a United Way representative, thanked the commissioners and described the organization’s 90-year history locally, saying it serves "the adult population ... who have a job but have a really hard time making it" and works to "give kids and families that opportunity to succeed." The proclamation also notes a county fundraising goal of $450,000 for 2025.

Votes at a glance (formal motions recorded on the transcript): - Approval of Jan. 2 minutes: approved (voice vote). - Acceptance of treasurer’s report for period ending Jan. 14, 2025: approved (voice vote). - Proclamation: January 2025 declared United Way Month: approved (voice vote). - Tax appeal refund (appeal upheld for 2024; commissioner who sits on the Joint Rail Authority abstained from discussion/vote): motion approved (voice vote, abstention noted in transcript). - Tax-claim fees for 2025, effective March 3, 2025: approved (voice vote). - Agreement with the law office of Bridal Baker to provide court-appointed counsel for custodial parents in child-welfare cases, Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025, at $2,500 per month: approved (voice vote). - Reappointment of Kaye Semler to the Industrial Development Authority for a four-year term: approved (voice vote). - Appointment of Donald Gearhart to the Agricultural Land Preservation Board for a three-year term ending Dec. 30, 2027: approved (voice vote). - Acceptance of a probation grant-in-aid (period described in meeting; award noted as larger than last year): approved (voice vote). - Appointment of Commissioner Kodish to the Central County Youth Detention Center Board (to meet a bylaw requirement that all three commissioners be appointed): approved (voice vote). - Personnel items (hires, promotions and a resignation listed in the meeting): approved (voice vote).

The commissioners discussed a change order (number 2) for the sanitary sewer extension project, described by Michael Fontaine as an extension to accommodate generator lead times; the transcript records discussion about a 180-day extension and confusion over a completion date but does not clearly record additional contract amounts. County staff clarified the change order does not change the contract amount and is intended to extend the completion schedule to allow delivery of generators for pump stations.

Probation staff and a county official described the annual probation grant-in-aid as "up significantly" compared with last year; the transcript indicates last year's award was "about $11,000 less" than this year's award. Commissioners and staff discussed that the additional funds help offset probation officer salaries; the precise percentage applied to salaries was not clearly stated on the record.

Other actions approved without extended discussion included the reappointment to the Industrial Development Authority, the agricultural-board appointment, and routine personnel hires and promotion: the meeting record lists hires and effective dates for a deputy coroner, corrections staff (part-time and full-time promotions), a part-time security guard, and one resignation with an effective date in April 2025.

The meeting closed after the recorded votes and motions; the commissioners adjourned after approving the agenda items.

Ending: The commissioners did not set a specific date for their next meeting during the recorded portion of the transcript; the meeting adjourned after completion of the listed agenda items.