Centre County adopts resolution urging Pennsylvania Legislature to end budget impasse
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Summary
The Centre County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 13 of 2025, urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to agree on a delayed Commonwealth budget. Commissioners warned the impasse is straining county reserves, human-service providers and school districts and urged swift action to avoid service cuts before the end of the year.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 28 adopted Resolution 13 of 2025, a bipartisan document from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania that urges the state legislature to finalize a delayed Commonwealth budget.
The adopted resolution follows remarks from commissioners about mounting financial pressure on counties, school districts and local human-service agencies. “We are now 119 days in,” said Commissioner Concepcion, describing counties’ reliance on state funding and the cascading effects on contract vendors and agency staff. “A lot of desperate people need those services and need those funds.”
Commissioner Dershow emphasized the difficulty counties face preparing a 2026 budget without state guidance, and noted the county is projecting it can make payroll and maintain services through Dec. 31 through use of reserves. “Our controller and finance director keep looking at the numbers, and they keep saying we think we can just make it until December 31 without cutting any services, without laying off any county employees,” Dershow said, adding that borrowing is easier in January than during the current season.
Commissioners noted the consequences are most acute for districts and counties with higher aid ratios and larger shares of state funding. “The districts that have the greatest economic need have the highest percentage of their budget that is state funding,” a commissioner said, underscoring that those places are least able to withstand a prolonged impasse.
The board moved to adopt the resolution; the motion and second were called and the vote carried.
The resolution and accompanying discussion do not impose any new county taxes or cuts; they ask state lawmakers to negotiate a budget so counties and their service partners can plan and be reimbursed for state-funded services.
