Fulton County commissioners adopt bylaws, confirm reappointments and set 2026 committee assignments

FULTON COUNTY, Pa. — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 adopted its 2026 bylaws, confirmed a slate of reappointments and set committee and board assignments for the year, the board’s reorganizational meeting minutes show.

Commissioner Randy H. Bunch moved to adopt the Board of Commissioners’ 2026 bylaws under the County Code and the Act of Aug. 9, 1955 (16 Purdon, Sections 503 and 509 as amended); the motion was approved unanimously. The meeting opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and there were no public comments recorded.

In routine business, commissioners approved the Dec. 30, 2025 meeting minutes and Dec. 30, 2025 Salary Board minutes on motions by Commissioner Steven L. Wible. The board also approved accounts payable dated Jan. 6, 2026, totaling $229,387.17 and a payroll warrant of $122,828.46. The accounts-payable approval included a fund-level breakdown recorded in the minutes: $53,157.03 in the General Fund; $75,662.44 in Capital Projects; $28,783.34 in Debt Service; $25,598.33 in the Krivak Trust Fund; and smaller amounts across other funds.

The commissioners confirmed reappointments to the Bedford Fulton Joint Recreation Authority, moving to reappoint Eric Weisbrod (term to Jan. 1, 2029), Paul Johnston (term to Jan. 6, 2030) and Greg Henry (term to Jan. 5, 2031) to stagger terms, on a motion by Commissioner Wible.

On a separate motion, Commissioner Hervey P. Hann moved to reappoint a number of county positions for 2026, including Solicitor Jim Stein & DSS Law; Chief Clerk Stacey M. Shives; Tax Claim Bureau Director Amy Bishop; Chief Assessor Melissa Gordon; Director of Veterans’ Affairs Richard Newman; and continued county engineering services with Keller Engineers and CES Engineering. Commissioner Wible also moved to reappoint Amy Bishop as Interim County Treasurer for 2026; both motions passed with all commissioners voting in favor.

Commissioner Bunch moved to designate commissioners and staff to standing boards and committees for 2026. Assignments recorded in the minutes include: membership of the Permanent Salary Board and Retirement Board (all three commissioners plus the chief clerk and county treasurer on the latter), Assessment Appeals Board, Board of Tax Revision and Assessment (Chair: Commissioner Bunch), County Records Improvement Committee, Huntingdon-Bedford-Fulton Area Agency on Aging, Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission and its finance, executive and personnel committees, Rural Transportation committees, Franklin/Fulton Drug & Alcohol Advisory Board, Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance committees, and several other regional and advisory bodies. The minutes list specific commissioner assignments and alternates for each body.

The board approved an RBA invoice for $7,957.31 on a motion by Commissioner Hann. Commissioner Bunch moved to appoint Michael Beatty as chairman of the Farmland Agricultural Land Preservation Board for 2026; that motion also carried unanimously.

Separately, the minutes note that the commissioners held their annual reorganizational meetings for the Salary and Retirement Boards at 9:00 a.m.; separate minutes for those sessions are on file. The board adjourned at 10:37 a.m.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Dec. 30, 2025 meeting minutes — Moved: Commissioner Steven L. Wible; Outcome: All in favor. - Approval of Dec. 30, 2025 Salary Board minutes — Moved: Commissioner Steven L. Wible; Outcome: All in favor. - Approval of accounts payable ($229,387.17) — Moved: Commissioner Hervey P. Hann; Outcome: All in favor. - Approval of payroll ($122,828.46) — Moved: Commissioner Hervey P. Hann; Outcome: All in favor. - Adoption of 2026 Board bylaws — Moved: Commissioner Randy H. Bunch; Outcome: All in favor. - BFJRA reappointments (Weisbrod, Johnston, Henry) — Moved: Commissioner Steven L. Wible; Outcome: All in favor. - 2026 departmental/position reappointments (Solicitor, Chief Clerk, Tax Claim Bureau Director, Chief Assessor, Veterans’ Affairs Director, engineering firms) — Moved: Commissioner Hervey P. Hann; Outcome: All in favor. - Reappointment of Amy Bishop as Interim County Treasurer — Moved: Commissioner Steven L. Wible; Outcome: All in favor. - Approval of RBA invoice ($7,957.31) — Moved: Commissioner Hervey P. Hann; Outcome: All in favor. - Appointment of Michael Beatty as Farmland Agricultural Land Preservation Board chair — Moved: Commissioner Randy H. Bunch; Outcome: All in favor.

What’s next

The minutes record that separate reorganizational minutes for the Salary and Retirement Boards are on file; no further committee dates or contested votes were recorded in these minutes.