Blair County commissioners adopted the county’s 2025 general fund and reserve account budgets and approved multiple staff‑recommended contracts and renewals at their meeting Dec. 31, 2024.

The board voted to approve the 2025 budgets as presented Nov. 21, 2024, with staff reporting there had been no changes since that presentation. The county also ratified payroll for the Dec. 27, 2024 paycheck date totaling $880,485.99 and approved routine warrant lists and ratifications under Resolution 5952024.

Human resources staff asked the board to switch the county’s pharmacy benefit manager from Prime Therapeutics to Kroger effective April 1, 2025. The motion to implement Kroger as the PBM was approved. "I believe there is significant cost savings, and that is not just for the County, but for the County employees," one commissioner said.

The board approved a two‑year renewal with Vision Benefits of America for the voluntary vision buy‑up policy covering April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2027, and authorized reinstating the county’s plan documents with Nationwide Retirement Services and signing a restated ASC document with signatures by the commissioners and assistant director Brian Walters.

The commissioners also approved the Pennsylvania Counties Workers' Compensation Trust insurance renewal for the Jan. 1, 2025–Jan. 1, 2026 policy period, with a total estimated contribution of $324,288. One commissioner stated they would abstain from that vote because they serve on the PCOMP board.

On contracts and service agreements, the board approved a CYF (Children, Youth and Families) legal services agreement with Evie and Black Attorneys LLC at an hourly rate of $135 for the adjusted term shown on the agenda and approved a quote from SBM Electronics to upgrade the Blair County 911 recorder for $71,174.83 (revised from an earlier amount).

During public comment, an unnamed resident urged the board to aim for no tax increase in 2027 after "the 2nd consecutive year of a tax increase" and asked whether regular meetings would return to a 10 a.m. start time; the board later set its next meeting for Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting concluded with the motion to adjourn. No contested votes or amendments changing substantive policy were recorded in the meeting minutes provided.