[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6656582,"mediaKeyId","5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828","parentId",5183047,"title","Commissioners warn state budget impasse is straining county finances, services and bridge repairs","audioSeconds",691,"startMs",1440000,"endMs",2131000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828&start=1440&end=2131","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828/thumbnail_1440000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656582/Carbon-County/Pennsylvania/Commissioners-warn-state-budget-impasse-is-straining-county-finances-services-and-bridge-repairs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656582-7a24a0bcc4a9bd59ff1999b740259135/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074191&Signature=M4hClw1KdhSGd0R2LQc9VlF1E5H4UrRrkfy98HYGOxHieS7mc8IR0dNjZizvunZfULUzXmNM-Vyy5Z~pC-ci7LSjLw~-NNUG4MIGVcBCKOHZnAyFEVvj5k0V2ON2gIglKIBjqWknpbt7pETKObuTaUaEDAY8djmt7ODRXJeeunKK~OGMd4P8FMhtojPDFZi4~OCoBQbPhFDIRUUxCaMPjoJWG9vkbPpOqrraSA9lhuj9Nq4o4fYHppCa-PnmTqzP71SGdol-9zH414ns4azg30TyhGrQhc8AO808Pjt8sh5DWKV4p3mYZ0t6k90PwKRfzeRcc1mdxmeHOZ87io~dZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Carbon County, PA","date","2025-07-03T00:00:00Z","article","At the July 3, 2025 meeting, Carbon County commissioners criticized the ongoing state budget impasse and described immediate fiscal and service impacts on the county, including potential borrowing, strain on human-services programs and limited funds for bridge repairs.

Commissioners said county departments have attempted to hold spending in check but that state inaction shifts costs to counties for services such as children and youth, the office for aging, 9-1-1 and court-related expenses. \"When we don't have a state budget, all of those services . . . come back to the county,\" one commissioner said, adding that the county must use its fund balance or borrow to cover obligations until state payments resume.

Commissioners described in-progress efforts to secure outside grant dollars and noted infrastructure priorities. They highlighted Little Leaf Farms (an indoor lettuce manufacturer in the northern tier) and AMPOW (a Palmerton manufacturer) as local economic assets, and said the county is pursuing bridge funding and matching grants for priority bridge projects. Commissioners said some bridge applications require significant matches and that starting grant applications can be expensive (one example cited a $73,000 start-up application cost where multiple bridges are involved).

Public-safety concerns also surfaced: a commissioner urged caution around holiday water recreation after several rescues and recoveries this year, noting specific recent rescues of children and urging life-jacket use.

The commissioners urged state leaders to prioritize completing a budget and warned that continued impasse could force counties to make difficult decisions about services and infrastructure funding. They asked county staff to continue pursuing grant funding and to work with newly elected state legislators to secure appropriations for bridge repairs and other county priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Commissioners' Meeting 7-3-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Carbon County commissioners used their July 3 meeting to warn that the ongoing state budget impasse is forcing the county to cover services normally funded by Harrisburg and is depleting fund balances needed for bridges, human services and emergency response.","taxTitle","Carbon County, Pennsylvania","taxId",71753,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6656586,"Commissioners table Impact Project contract pending solicitor review and funding clarity",1603,772000,2375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828&start=772&end=2375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828/thumbnail_772000.jpg","/articles/6656586/Carbon-County/Pennsylvania/Commissioners-table-Impact-Project-contract-pending-solicitor-review-and-funding-clarity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656586-14ac4620e6dff588cbc71b18d59e1690/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074191&Signature=UZSGQ1VUYjaPnvk2GFIS5P~WqHkLCVjbUL84zEOtiagiVMfLfVLOo6bdtJDmqmAckTI84sDLytXXv41VJqL0SLaLhM1s31eQdBptxiUI3L08Kw3sTok9BgCSn3zgjFA96WBceDl8mme706~Ci84wwaYVTTCqCZH0wA1SAzWzBchpKzHFn-m68dumxw~zIoEuenwEvfWZycX7o9s3kkGo2l1IVidXg0ix-78eD77jrefTQF60gah5NShWv27XDm~-KzDp1KXg9s5rgcg4ZzZ66JLGpTgeZM0rrD-n89e-5uD-LRssoQjfDzONELs9OL72kyJxGHHH8HiXbTgtLWJcfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Carbon County Board of Commissioners tabled a proposed purchase-of-service agreement with the Impact Project on July 3, 2025, after several commissioners said they had not had adequate time to review the contract or receive solicitor advice and raised questions about the county’s financial exposure while the state budget remained unresolved.

\"I'm not willing to vote on something until I hear from the solicitor that the concerns of Carbon County have been met,\" a commissioner said during discussion of the item, noting that the county received an 81-page contract the previous Friday and that the solicitor had not completed review. The motion to table was seconded and passed unanimously.

Commissioners described the county’s potential fiscal exposure if the program started without guaranteed state funding. One commissioner said the county would be \"on the hook for $240,000\" if the project proceeded without state budget assurances; the figure was presented during discussion as the commissioners assessed short-term cash-flow risk.

Other issues raised included whether the contract text was Carbon County–specific, how the program would be implemented in schools, the degree of buy-in from local district attorneys and school districts, how referrals would be handled, and whether the county would incur ongoing staffing costs (for example, adding caseworkers in school buildings). Commissioners also noted that similar programs in neighboring counties used different legal arrangements (memoranda of understanding in one county, direct contracts in another), and that Carbon County’s contracts must be signed by the board of commissioners.

County staff and the solicitor were directed to do the following before the matter returns to the board:
- Complete solicitor review and return recommended contract edits that are specific to Carbon County;
- Clarify the county’s short- and medium-term funding exposure and whether state funding would cover the county’s costs once/if appropriations are available;
- Provide details about school-level implementation, reporting responsibilities and intended timelines;
- Confirm whether the program’s startup timeline (commissioners were told it could take two years to be fully operational) affects the county’s cost schedule.

The motion to table the agreement was recorded as unanimous. Commissioners said they were not opposed to the program’s goals but required more time and clearer legal and budgetary assurances before committing county funds.","A proposed purchase-of-service agreement with the Impact Project was tabled after commissioners said they had received an 81-page contract late, had unresolved solicitor concerns and noted potential county funding exposure while the state budget remained unsettled.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6656591,"Commissioners approve bids, grants and contracts across multiple departments; several items forwarded for further review",938,109000,1047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828&start=109&end=1047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5183047-8d31f6badee0393ef5f8d3d604e26828/thumbnail_109000.jpg","/articles/6656591/Carbon-County/Pennsylvania/Commissioners-approve-bids-grants-and-contracts-across-multiple-departments-several-items-forwarded-for-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656591-be8646366a0bd5f642d0534ccf6d180b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074191&Signature=UnKDeMDIhEZ7HxgdvQNRY-SkMkN2Fr3FwXa-sfPrqixsv8gh~AS8EmlhSyJl4OEl2W7BqdqKB0uLlF-QpJ6sJXLBSu702xdUhXUVOaeahZmJ8ptA8JSEyS4u8xG3BuVSIrnxKLyLeJvSr2WiRaqftz1xnoivlqzzG-o7Pp27cSD-pgPCnLnsLyVSwDwTGyEL0PGHi2NuAWJcDJHxtbjKv4nl6aoEv4rO0Atj-VVEYiXPW~TkcxbU5Wj4~OK9h~LhJaMKhV5M9QEXs2GSqN2FLEYlre30bPJDEijzk6aNZmbbGWDO68It7PR2CL6yRjQ68edw3q0KdUZjcC2c7fa~Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Carbon County Board of Commissioners on July 3, 2025, approved a package of bids, contracts, grant acceptances and intergovernmental agreements covering road reconstruction bids, county facilities repairs, data-sharing and several human-services participation agreements.

The votes, taken by the three commissioners present, were largely unanimous in favor of routine procurement and grant-related motions and included forwarding several bid openings to Planning and Development for recommendation or rejection ahead of the next meeting.

Among procurement actions, the board opened bids and recorded amounts for a CDBG-funded Palmerton Borough project to reconstruct portions of Muckchunk Road. Recorded bids included Braselante Construction ($220,548.75), Construction Master Services ($224,381.60), Freilinger Construction Group ($341,940.00), Lehigh Asphalt Paving ($221,865.50), Ronnie Folk Paving ($239,888.33), and Cobalt Construction ($312,887.00). The board voted to turn those bids over to Planning and Development for review and recommendation in two weeks.

The board likewise opened bids for street reconstruction work (Mary Ann Alley, Tunney's Tunnel Street to Old Muckchunk Road). Bidders recorded included Bruce George Paving ($116,259.10), Freilinger Construction Group ($170,073.00), Gaver Industries ($180,760.00), Lehigh Asphalt Paving ($122,503.00) and Cobalt Construction ($194,060.00); the bids were forwarded to Planning and Development for review.

Other contract and grant approvals enacted by the board included:

- Approval and execution of an intergovernmental agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Adult Probation (item 25356): motion approved unanimously.
- Renewal of a service agreement for 9-1-1 with CK Alarms (item 25362): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of a proposal from Sean Kresge Electrical (item 25363): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of a water-heater replacement at the correctional facility (item 25364): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of work on the courthouse sally port door (item 25365): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of a CTI proposal for court computer hardware/software (item 25366): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of a GIS data-sharing agreement with Luzerne County (item 25367): approved unanimously.
- Approval and execution of the MAT (medication-assisted treatment) program participation agreement for fiscal year 2025–26: approved unanimously.
- Approval, adoption and execution of the Multimodal Transportation Fund grant program (county bridge number 4) (item 25369): motion adopted unanimously.
- Planning & Development: appointment/authorization of a CDBG Section 504 officer and adoption/advertisement of CDBG Fair Housing notice and HUD online access request (items 25370–25372): motions adopted/advertised unanimously.
- NEPA cooperation agreement for Little Leaf Farms (item 25377): motion approved unanimously.
- A resolution honoring a centenarian of Palmerton (item 25374) and approval of several tax-assessment refunds and related items (items 25375–25377 recorded together) were approved and ratified.

The board also approved multiple routine expenditure and treasury items (department reports and expenditure ratifications dated 06/19–07/03/2025; items 25345, 25348, 25350–25353) by unanimous roll call.

Votes at a glance (selected items)
- Bids (Muckchunk Road, Palmerton Borough): opened and forwarded to Planning & Development for award/rejection (vote to forward: yes 3–0).
- Bids (Mary Ann Alley / Tunney’s Tunnel): opened and forwarded to Planning & Development for award/rejection (vote to forward: yes 3–0).
- Intergovernmental agreement (Adult Probation, 25356): approved (yes 3–0).
- CK Alarms renewal (25362): approved (yes 3–0).
- CTI court computer proposal (25366): approved (yes 3–0).
- Multimodal Transportation Fund grant adoption (25369): approved (yes 3–0).
- NEPA cooperation for Little Leaf Farms (25377): approved (yes 3–0).
- Impact Project purchase-of-service agreement (25361): tabled (see separate article).

Ending: Several items were advanced to Planning and Development for vendor selection or further review ahead of the board’s next meeting; one human-services purchase-of-service agreement was tabled pending solicitor review and funding clarity.","Carbon County commissioners voted to accept multiple bids, approve grants and execute contracts and intergovernmental agreements on July 3, 2025. Several procurement bids were opened and forwarded to planning for review; one purchase-of-service contract (\"Impact Project\") was tabled pending solicitor review and funding clarity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners warn state budget impasse is straining county finances, services and bridge repairs

Commissioners table Impact Project contract pending solicitor review and funding clarity

Commissioners approve bids, grants and contracts across multiple departments; several items forwarded for further review