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Berks County commissioners adopt agenda and list contracts, budget moves and appointments
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Summary
At its April meeting the Berks County Board of Commissioners approved the meeting agenda, reviewed treasurer and controller reports, and listed several contracts, appointments and letters of support including a CareerLink services contract and a Burkes Road bridge bid.
The Berks County Board of Commissioners approved its agenda and reviewed a series of routine budget, contract and personnel items during its April 23 meeting.
The board, led by the chair, listed a resolution authorizing 2026 budget transfers totaling $16,500 and appropriations of $24,775 (listing dated April 17, 2026). Under purchasing, commissioners recommended awarding a two-year business services contract for Pennsylvania CareerLink Berks County to Educational Data Systems Inc. of Dearborn, Michigan, for a total not to exceed $402,831.90 covering the fiscal year beginning July 1 through June 30, 2027. The board also listed a bid award for the Burkes Road bridge replacement to Jay Phillips Excavating of Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, not to exceed $734,714.
The agenda included several human-resources items: the appointment of Julia Livan to the public defender's office; John Moser as assistant director of the workforce development board effective May 13; and Stephanie Smith as interim warden of the Berks County Jail effective May 8. A personnel transfer of Stacy Foreman to judicial coordinator in court administration was also listed.
Commissioners listed multiple letters of support for grant applications, including the Schuylkill River Greenway Association’s application to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 2026 partnership grant, and support for Kumru Township and the Borough of Wyomissing’s Community Conservation Partnership grant applications. The board also noted that Jessica Jones, director of the Berks County Area Agency on Aging, was authorized to execute a memorandum of understanding to participate in an elder-abuse multidisciplinary team in collaboration with Lehigh and Lancaster counties.
Treasurer Mitchell Darkcourt reported the office’s custodial totals, saying the opening balance was $219,926,339.75, with a balance to clear of $6,842,835.45 and an available balance of about $213,083,504.30. “That’s the money that we take care of every week and assure that’s in a safe place in banks, mostly in Berks County,” Darkcourt said.
Thomas Bello, the governmental accountant providing the controller’s report, said accounts payable for the week ending April 24 totaled $6,512,056.12 and payroll was $5,591,897.38 for total cash disbursements of $12,103,953.50.
A motion to approve the agenda was made and seconded; the board approved it by voice vote. The meeting concluded after routine comments from commissioners and a question-and-answer period with children attending a “bring your child to work” event. Commissioner Dante Santoni moved to adjourn; the chair declared the meeting adjourned.
Several of the items on the agenda were listed as resolutions or recommendations to award contracts; the transcript records those items being announced on the agenda but does not record separate roll-call votes for each listed contract or appointment in the public portion of the meeting.
