Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
39 issues with medium priority
Local match for the Area Transportation Authority
The county's annual local transit subsidy continues at $226,270 for the fiscal year starting July 2027 — a bit more each year.
GovWorx QA training and pre-hire software agreement
The county was looking at bringing on GovWorx QA software for employee training and pre-employment screening. It's part of how the county hires and trains its workforce.
National Adoption Month and foster youth permanency
The county added new CYS caseworkers and hires, which commissioners welcomed after the department ran short-handed. Vendor contracts for evaluations, family support and constable services were renewed.
Commissioner Winters's seat on the Board of Elections
A DuBois resident publicly called on Commissioner Tim Winters to resign from the County Board of Elections, alleging he campaigned for a candidate. Winters defended himself later in the meeting, saying political activity doesn't affect how ballots are counted.
Penelec power outage and county building closures
All three commissioners slammed Penelec for giving less than 24 hours' notice before an outage that forced county building closures, disrupting mail-ballot drop-offs and veterans appointments. They say a week's notice would have been fine.
Food bank funding for the coming year
March 2026 marks 25 years of the March for Meals campaign in Clearfield County. Meals on Wheels delivers nutritious meals and daily welfare checks to seniors — drivers have even found fallen residents and saved lives.
Dickinson Center jail and probation services
The renewed CIU 10 agreement keeps GED and adult education classes running at the county jail for another program year.
Graham v. Clearfield County settlement
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld dismissal of the county's long-running lawsuit over construction defects at the county jail, closing the door on recovering costs for roof problems dating to the late 1970s.
School-based probation agreements
Renewed agreements placing probation officers in Clearfield and DuBois Area schools — a program the county considers successful.
Medical Assistance Transportation Program renewal
The county renewed its pass-through deal letting Central PA Community Action run rides to medical appointments for Medical Assistance recipients — about $1 million this year.
Possible bridge transfer to Snowshoe Rails to Trails
Ordinance 2026-1 hands the Kellytown Bridge over to PennDOT so the state can complete the bridge project, with all remaining costs covered by state funds — a cost-free fix for county taxpayers.
Blighted property cleanup via tax forgiveness
The county forgave delinquent taxes on a rundown Curwensville property so the borough can demolish it and get it back on the tax rolls — a tool officials say they want to use more for problem parcels.
Community safety fears among immigrant families
A resident told commissioners that immigrant families in Clearfield are frightened and urged the county's leaders to use their visibility to ease fear and division in the community.
Drug court development
Probation and Clearfield Jefferson Drug & Alcohol can now keep sharing client info and referral requirements under a renewed three-year deal. It keeps a long-running partnership going for people moving between the justice system and treatment.
FY 2026-27 Human Services Plan
A two-year agreement with Service Access Management, Inc. keeps information flowing between probation and Children & Youth Services so families get connected support from both agencies.
Standardized polling place leases
All 63 precincts are being moved to one modern lease form covering secure equipment storage, ADA access and termination notice — a long-overdue cleanup after 20 years of election changes.
Assessment appeal settlement for WBP Leasing property
A large leased Decatur Township property will see its assessed value cut from $8 million to about $5.4–6.1 million over two years, shrinking the tax base for the county, township and especially the Philipsburg-Osceola school district.
Upset tax sale notices
The solicitor warned that notices for September's upset tax sale are going out, and urged property owners who get one to call the tax office — payment arrangements may save their home.
Replacement of county phone system with VoIP
The county's current phone system predates its own building. Twenty-three vendors from 12 states responded to the VoIP RFP — a strong field, but sorting out comparable prices will take weeks.
RACC Pocket Park at 24 N. Second Street
The redevelopment authority is seeking a $250,000 state grant to turn the former Brody's site into a downtown pocket park with benches, games, a kids' climbing area, and food-truck space — at no cost to the county beyond a pass-through.
Courthouse renovation and historic building maintenance
The county approved a $21,927.26 renovation quote for the historic courthouse, including courtroom work and sealing window panes that leak air — a change officials say could cut heating costs.
Foster care transportation agreement with Philipsburg-Osceola School District
A new three-year agreement ensures kids in foster care can keep attending their home school, with the district and CYS coordinating transport.
National opioid litigation settlement participation
Clearfield County must decide by May 4, 2026 whether to join a $97.6 million settlement with six remaining opioid defendants. The county's share could be small — maybe around $13,000 — but staying in preserves money for local opioid abatement.
Lower credit card fees for county payments
The Treasurer dumped Allpaid after it tripled transaction fees to $3.99 — bad news for someone paying $8.80 for a dog license. The new vendor charges under a dollar on small transactions.
May 19 primary election readiness
Poll worker vacancies remain in five precincts, mail ballots should go out next week, and officials warn not to wait until the May 12 deadline to request one given Post Service delays.
Declining federal VOCA funding for Victim Witness services
The Victim Witness Program's federal grant fell another $5,093 this year. Commissioners committed to filling the gap from county general funds — one reason local taxes face pressure.
Switch in hazardous materials emergency response contractor
McCutcheon Enterprises tripled its yearly retainer to $7,500, so the county is switching to Rapid Response for a one-year trial with no retainer. The service is rarely used but critical when needed.
Redelegation of community development programs to RACC
The county renewed its agreement letting the Redevelopment Authority administer state and federal programs through 2028, and transferred the 1939 Daisy Street property to the authority.
Child Abuse Prevention Month and family support programs
The Children's Aid Society runs three parent-education programs — Triple P, Nurturing and Parents as Teachers — aimed at preventing abuse and neglect. The county's proclamation asks residents and community groups to support families throughout April.
County staffing and payroll obligations
The board filled seven positions across the jail, sheriff's office, courts, prothonotary and DA's office, with two jail corrections officers departing. These hires affect public safety staffing levels and county payroll.
County website ADA compliance
The county is legally required to make its website accessible to disabled users. CivicPlus will do the catch-up work now, with grant money covering it and the IT department maintaining compliance going forward.
Register & Recorder records digitization
Roughly 730,000 images on about 55,000 microfilm files — recordings, estates and more — are being converted to searchable digital files. This makes property and estate records far easier for the public and title searchers to access and preserves deteriorating records.
Precinct consolidations and new voter ID cards
Voters in DuBois, Cooper, Beccaria, Woodward and Morris townships will get new voter ID cards in the mail because of precinct consolidations — including the DuBois/Sandy merger. Officials warn residents not to be alarmed; the cards are legitimate.
Victim notification when inmates are released
The county renewed the Savin service that lets the DA's office, jail staff, and crime victims know when a defendant gets out of a corrections facility. It's provided at no cost to the county.
911 Telecommunicator Departures
Two telecommunicators left the county 911 center this month, adding to staffing pressure at emergency dispatch.
Recreation and Tourism Board vacancy
Christy Brown, who leads the Clearfield Chamber of Commerce, joined the county's Recreation and Tourism Board. Her business background is expected to shape how the county promotes local attractions and events.
Jail leadership vacancy filled
After a long struggle to fill the position, the jail finally has a Deputy Warden of Operations — Eugene Quick — which completes the facility's management team.
Central Counties Youth Center funding change
The state changed how the five-county juvenile facility gets reimbursed — from allocations to actual days used — so counties now pay a fixed contribution plus a $667 per-day rate. The county's share is $68,354 this year.
Municipal Consolidation Policy
Clearfield County is pushing to merge some municipalities so towns can share costs and cut duplication, but a new report says Pennsylvania's local government rules are getting in the way. Basically, the idea could save money, but the state law is messy enough to slow it down.