Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tioga County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
18 issues with medium priority
Arnot water plant generator
A $49,832 Act 13 grant buys a new generator for the Arnot water plant pump house, keeping water service running during power outages.
Courthouse armory roof repair
An emergency $90,088 roof repair keeps the courthouse annex dry and protected.
2027 Tax Base Certification
The county is defending its valuation of the EQT Mansfield building in a tax appeal and hired an appraiser for $4,800 to support its case.
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.
Tioga County Fairgrounds master plan
A nine-member authority will develop, connect, and operate trails and recreation facilities across Tioga County and link them to neighboring counties — aiming to spread trail investment beyond Wellsboro to places like Tioga, Mansfield, and Blossburg.
Farmland preservation funding
The county committed $100,000 from the landfill escrow account for 2027 conservation easements, preserving agricultural land.
Dam safety inspections
Three county dams will be professionally inspected and reported on, paid from landfill escrow money.
BeST Transit extended 50 years
The three-county bus authority (BeST Transit) can now exist for up to 50 more years, securing public transportation service long-term.
I-99 redesignation ends county liability for highway lighting
Now that Route 15 is I-99, the county is off the hook for utilities, maintenance and insurance on the interchange lights — four amended agreements with PennDOT made it official.
Human Services contract renewals
Twenty-nine contracts keep foster care, juvenile detention, early intervention therapy, drug and alcohol treatment, and transportation services running for county residents through 2026/27.
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.
Westfield Borough sidewalk grant
Westfield Borough won just over $1 million in PennDOT transportation funding for new sidewalks along Main Street — a two-year effort that commissioners championed. The current sidewalks are barely walkable and tough for wheelchairs.
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.
Regional ATV trail council of governments
Tioga is pitching in an extra $3,000 — alongside Clinton and Potter counties — to finish legal work establishing the Northcentral Regional ATV trail COG, with a community meeting in Black Forest.
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.
Mosquito and tick surveillance
Tioga County had two West Nile-positive mosquito samples in 2025 — down sharply from flood-driven 2024 levels — and 24 of 50 collected ticks carried Lyme disease. Surveillance resumes April 6.
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.
Marsh Creek Greenway extension
A fencing supply delay pushed the trail project behind schedule; the county signed a six-month extension with PennDOT as project manager, and the contractor is paying per-day damages.