From Budget Talks to Veterans Honor: Key Highlights from the Clinton County Commissioners Meeting
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN—During the Thursday morning meeting of the Clinton County Commissioners, several important topics were discussed. Kira Rosamilia, County Tourism Director, and Matt Croak, Community Planner, shared details about the 2025 Clinton County Tourism Grant. They announced that applications are now being accepted for the grant, with a deadline set for January. Ed Zack from Susquehanna Accounting Services presented the preliminary budget for 2025, noting a reduction of $5.2 million from this year. The general fund budget is proposed at just over $26 million, marking a 3% increase. Additionally, the board issued a Veterans Day proclamation, and Veterans Administration Director Todd Warner provided a presentation. He showed that Clinton County is home to 2,569 veterans, with 40% having a disability rating— the highest percentage in the state.
The Clinton County Tourism Grant application period is now open, and applications are accepted online until 5:00 p.m. on January 4, 2025. This grant seeks to enhance local tourism by drawing in more visitors from outside the county. It is funded by a portion of the county’s lodging tax and provides financial support for projects that aim to attract visitors. The goal is to boost the local economy, increase overnight stays, and create jobs within the county. The program follows the guidelines of Act 18, ensuring transparency and accountability.
This funding is critical to the county’s mission of growing tourism and supporting local businesses, and the committee will be distributing $75,000 in grant funds for 2025 with the hope of increasing this amount in the future.
Croak emphasized the importance of applicants reading the grant guidelines carefully to understand what expenses are eligible for the funding. For those who are awarded grant funds, there will be a training workshop to help them maximize the funds they’re awarded and understand the guidelines. The date of the workshop is to be announced.
To apply for the 2025 Clinton County Tourism Grant, visit www.exploreclintoncountypa.com and click the link in the banner at the top of the page. All applications must be completed online.
Ed Zack from Susquehanna Accounting Services presented the 2025 preliminary budget to the board, which is set at $50.1 million—$5.2 million less than this year’s budget. Zack explained that the decrease is due to the county receiving a $6.2 million radio grant for 9-1-1 services. He also mentioned that funds were initially allocated for HVAC system improvements at the courthouse and the Piper Building, but since those projects were not completed, $5.5 million has been reallocated for 2025 to finish them.
The general fund budget for 2025 is $26,757,266, which is $732,000 higher than last year’s general fund budget, amounting to approximately a 3% increase.
The budget presentation included comparisons of various budget line items between 2023, 2024, and 2025. Increases were noted in areas such as workers’ compensation, a 47% increase, and property/liability insurance, with a 42% increase in the budget for next year.
Zack reported that wages and benefits have flatlined because the commissioners have been reviewing open job positions and merging some roles to save money.
To conclude his presentation, Zack said that there was no tax increase included in the 2025 preliminary budget.
Chief Clerk Desiree Myers announced that the 2025 budget will be on display in the commissioner’s office at 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven and on the Clinton County Government website for 20 days, and it will also be on the agenda for approval at the commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, December 5. To view the budget online, visit www.clintoncountypa.gov/government/commissioners.
Next, Commissioner Angela Harding read a proclamation that honored veterans for their sacrifices, stating that heroism, selflessness, and sacrifice have allowed the nation to thrive and have ensured that we may live in freedom. The proclamation also acknowledged the duty to honor the memory of those servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as remember those who are still missing in action. Last, the proclamation reiterated the deepest gratitude to veterans, vowing that their spirit and sacrifices will never be forgotten.
After the Veterans Day proclamation was read, Veteran Administration Director Todd Warner presented the commissioners with statistics and other information about veterans in Clinton County.
Warner reported that Clinton County currently has 2,569 veterans— a number projected to decrease by about 200 over the next two to two and a half years due to a decrease in the number of people joining the military and an aging population of veterans.
Pennsylvania has 67 counties, and according to the state’s report, as of the end of September 2024, Clinton County has 40%, or 1,027 individuals, who are veterans with a disability rating from the Veterans Administration (VA), which is the highest percentage of any county in Pennsylvania. Across the state, only 28% of all Pennsylvania veterans have a VA disability. “That tells me something; it tells me that our county veterans have sacrificed a lot,” Warner said. “Their family members have sacrificed a lot, and they’ve been through a lot. When you have four out of 10 in a room that have been rated by the Federal Veterans Administration with some level of disability, that’s very high.”
The Clinton County VA office currently has 257 active claims, with over 50 of them currently in the federal queue to be ready for a decision by the Federal VA. The economic impact of the claims processed by the county’s VA office in 2023 was over $10.25 million in tax-free income for veterans in Clinton County.
Warner also reported that 83% of Clinton County veterans use the VA healthcare system, which is a much higher percentage than the statewide average of 48%. “They say numbers don’t lie, [and] those numbers of how many veterans we have that use the health care system came from the planning officer at the VA hospital in Altoona, so everything’s falling into place the way we see it,” Warner said. “They have a strong case to have more VA medical services come this way because right now, the closest we have is State College, and they’re under the Altoona Hospital.”
The Clinton County VA office is very active in its outreach, recently visiting prisons and correctional facilities to assist veterans. Also of note, Warner mentioned the MilitaryShare program, which is available at the county VA office and offers free food distributions to eligible veterans and their families. “The third Thursday of every month, overall, we feed nearly 700 people a month with that program.”
In closing, Commissioner Harding thanked the committee that has been working to revitalize and refurbish Veterans Park across from the Clinton County Courthouse. “I would like to publicly thank the committee that has been working tirelessly over the last several years to revitalize and refurbish Veterans Park across from the courthouse. That includes Commissioner Russo, Dave Harger, and a committee of folks who worked very hard; thank you for that,” Harding said.
Commissioner Russo was committed to helping with the Veterans Park revitalization, and he thanked Commissioner Harding and Snyder for supporting him during times when he needed to leave the office to help out with it. “They carried the ball here, and I am proud and glad that I get to work with two commissioners like that, [who] helped me move forward with the project,” he said.
Commissioner Snyder added that the large turnout at the Veterans Park celebration on Monday was evidence of the community’s appreciation for the project. “I think it was greatly appreciated by the community,” he said. “It’s a wonderful redesign of that area, and if you haven’t seen it, you really need to go over and see it, so we just thank everybody.”
The next meeting of the Clinton County Commissioners will be held on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Meetings are held in person at the Piper Building, 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven, in the 2nd floor conference room, and they are also livestreamed on the “Clinton County Government” Facebook page.
