Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tioga County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
17 issues in public safety
Adoption needs in Tioga County
Nine kids found adoptive homes this year, but 20 children are still waiting — seven without an identified family. Commissioners urged more families to consider fostering or adoption.
Veterans Affairs leadership transition
Tim Cleveland retired after 29 years building the county's Veterans Affairs office into a statewide award-winning operation; Ryan Forrest has been promoted to Deputy Director as the transition proceeds.
November general election deadlines
Register by October 19; mail-in/absentee ballot applications close October 27. The county also honored residents who've voted in 50 consecutive general elections.
Crary Hose new fire station out of the floodplain
The county signed a commitment letter for a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant to buy out or relocate Potter Brook properties flooded twice in two years, with up to seven inches of rain reported in the drainage. Commissioners said getting people out of the floodplain is the priority.
PEMA 911 interconnectivity funding
Nearly $1 million from PEMA will upgrade regional 911 consoles, reimburse required landlines, and support Next Gen 911 GIS maintenance.
Food insecurity in Tioga County
One in seven county residents — and one in four children — is food insecure, and food costs are up more than 33% since 2019. The county proclaimed Hunger Action Month and works with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
School resource officers in Southern Tioga schools
A new agreement puts sheriff's deputies in Southern Tioga School District schools, with the district footing the bill. Commissioners called it a must for student safety and a boost for deputy retention.
Polling place consolidation in Wellsboro
Elk Township voters will join Gaines at the Gaines township building on Route 6 (the old schoolhouse site lacked bathrooms and ADA parking), and Middlebury voters move to the township building after a fire hall floor failure. Signs and letters are notifying voters.
Hazardous materials cost recovery ordinance
Facilities storing hazardous chemicals will now pay $75 instead of $50 per chemical — a fee set in 1991. The money funds LEPC purchases like CO monitors for EMS and foam suppression for fire departments.
Southern Tioga School District SRO request
The district formally asked the county for three full-time sheriff's deputies as school resource officers for the 2026-27 school year, with a Memorandum of Understanding attached. Commissioners tabled it to talk with the Sheriff about staffing and cost sharing, with the district hoping for placement by around August 1.
CCAP 2026 priorities: 911, mental health, reassessments
Resolution R-8-26 backs a statewide push to raise the 911 surcharge (Tioga County covers 40% of its 911 costs), boost county mental health base funding, and fix Pennsylvania's property reassessment system.
Project Lifesaver launch
The Sheriff's Office and Laurel Mountain K9 Search & Rescue rolled out free tracking bracelets for people with autism, dementia, or other conditions who wander — wearers are typically found within 30 minutes.
$250,000 Act 13 grant program for fire and EMS
Volunteer fire departments are shrinking and ambulance services face huge equipment bills — a stretcher now costs over $70,000. Commissioners agreed to build a fair grant program using Act 13 money and are working to bring in-person EMT training back to the county to train up to 24 recruits at a time.
Hazard mitigation plan update and grant agent
The county is paying MCM Consulting $63,954 — all grant money — to update its hazard mitigation plan, and adopted Resolution R-4-26 so EMA Deputy Director Marti Shabloski can sign federal mitigation grant applications.
Proposed veterans treatment court
Resident Quentin Gee asked the county to consider a veterans court alongside the existing drug court, citing an 85% success rate elsewhere; the DA and commissioners were receptive to discussing it.
DA's office caseload and appellate support
With roughly 35 trials since the current DA took office — far more than the prior 15 years combined — appeal briefs have piled up. The county is funding six months of contract appellate help rather than a new assistant DA position.
Liberty Borough dangerous building
A former Methodist church converted to a residence is within 20-30 feet of collapsing onto a neighbor's home; the uninsured owner can't pay to demolish it. Bids run $20,795.70 to $67,000, and an IRS lien complicates county recovery of costs. The board will consult its solicitor.