Bradford County commissioners approve CDBG reallocations, hires and election testing ahead of May primary

The Bradford County Commissioners met April 9, 2026, in Towanda and unanimously approved a slate of routine business, including two revisions to the county's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, multiple personnel hires and transfers, and election-related preparations for the May 19, 2026, General Primary Election.

The board approved Resolution No. 2026-09, a minor revision to the FY 2021 CDBG program that reallocates $44.00 from a completed Abuse and Rape Crisis Center project to an exterior masonry repair activity for Child Hunger Outreach Partners. Commissioners also adopted Resolution No. 2026-10 to revise the FY 2025 CDBG application after two applicants withdrew. That revision reallocated $50,000 from the withdrawn Lackawanna College Accelerated Certification activity and $6,655 from the Bradford County Housing Rehabilitation activity into the Supporting Area Families Everyday Accessibility repairs activity (bringing it to $91,000), and reallocated $72,952 from a withdrawn PennYork Opportunities Village Hub Café activity into Sayre Borough crosswalk improvements (bringing that total to $90,088). Elizabeth Burgess, the county grants administrator, was recorded in the minutes as associated with CDBG items.

The board ratified earlier actions to approve letters of support for a Conservation District Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) grant and for a Wysox/Asylum Township application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The commissioners also approved the appointment of Joshua Lundy to the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

On personnel and salaries, the commissioners approved a personnel motion moved by Commissioner Doug McLinko and seconded by Commissioner Zachary R. Gates to hire several part-time employees and to transfer a staff member. Approved hires and effective dates included Rick Heckman as part-time Casual Community Service Supervisor, effective March 25, 2026; Amber Copp as part-time corrections officer, effective March 31, 2026; Jeremy Sheldon and Timothy Taft as part-time corrections officers, effective April 6, 2026; and Ryan Brennan as part-time corrections officer, effective April 13, 2026. The board also approved transferring Anastasia Stirrat to Program Specialist I in Mental Health, effective March 23, 2026. The Salary Board (moved by Treasurer Matt Allen, seconded by Commissioner McLinko) recorded hourly rates for some hires in the minutes: Rick Heckman at $16.50 per hour, corrections officers at $15.00 per hour, and Anastasia Stirrat at $24.56 per hour.

The commissioners approved a set of administrative agreements and audits: authorization for Larson, Kellett & Associates, P.C. to audit county financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, and to audit Human Services financial statements for specified reporting periods; approval of an agreement between Bradford County Human Services and River Valley YMCA (Bradford County branch) for June 1–Aug. 30, 2026; and approval of an amended agreement between the Bradford/Sullivan Drug & Alcohol SCA and River Valley YMCA effective Jan. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The board also signed the certification statement for the FY 2024–2025 Human Services Block Grant Income and Expenditure Report.

On elections, the board authorized the Chief Clerk to legally advertise the Bradford County Election Bureau’s schedule for logic and accuracy testing (beginning April 21, 2026), pre-election testing of electronic tabulating equipment (May 14, 2026), computing and canvassing of returns and provisional ballots for the May 19, 2026 General Primary Election, and the official legal advertisement for that election. The board also authorized the Director of Elections to appoint poll workers at county polling locations with vacancies effective May 14, 2026.

Public comment included two brief items recorded in the minutes: Quentin Gee asked for a POW flag to be placed at the county EMA building, and Walter Woods requested an executive session and ratification of letters of support; the minutes show the board later ratified the letters of support. In closing remarks, commissioners advised caution about burning due to elevated wildfire risk and wished local FBLA chapters luck at an upcoming state tournament. The meeting adjourned at 10:46 a.m.

Next procedural steps recorded in the minutes include submission of revised CDBG documentation to DCED and scheduled election testing and advertising ahead of the May 19 primary.