Centre County approves $797,265 in recommended 2026 transportation allocations
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Summary
The Centre County Board of Commissioners approved staff recommendations allocating $797,265 across liquid fuels, Act 13 and fee-for-local-use programs for 2026, including $213,800 from county liquid fuel funds and $45,000 from Act 13 for a Walker Township bridge project.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 16 to approve staff-recommended transportation funding for 2026, allocating a combined $797,265 across county liquid fuels, Act 13 and fee-for-local-use programs.
In a presentation to the board, staff member Rica outlined the county’s available balances and the recommended awards. Rica said the county’s total available fund balance was $2,116,687.54 and recommended that the liquid fuels program provide $213,800 for road improvements, drainage and paving projects. She said staff recommended $45,000 from Act 13 funding to support bridge work in Walker Township and $538,465 from the fee-for-local-use program, bringing the combined recommendation to $797,265.
Why it matters: the allocations support local roadway, bridge and safety projects requested by municipalities across Centre County. Rica told commissioners staff received 23 applications from 23 municipalities — 18 townships and five boroughs — requesting roughly $1.38 million in aid for projects totaling about $3.15 million.
Commissioners discussed geographic balance and the difficulty of meeting all requests with limited funds. One commissioner praised the county’s long-term stewardship of its road network and noted Centre County’s size and the number of municipalities that seek support. Commissioner Concepcion said equitable distribution across townships is a key staff consideration.
Staff answered questions about remaining balances after the recommended awards: Rica reported an estimated $38,742 would remain in the liquid fuels account after the allocations; the fee-for-local-use account would retain about $1.2 million, and Act 13 would have roughly $280,360 remaining. The presentation noted the county had previously invested $1,296,536.24 in local transportation projects through the fee-for-local-use program and that five projects remained pending for payment.
The board voted to approve the allocation package (motion moved by Unidentified Speaker 6; seconded by Unidentified Speaker 4). The motion passed by voice vote.
What’s next: staff will proceed with issuing awards and coordinating funding with the municipalities named in the recommendation, which included Benner Township, Burnside Township, Taylor Township, Union Township and Ward Township for liquid fuels awards and a Walker Township bridge project funded through Act 13.
