The Lycoming County Commissioners met on October 22nd to approve rate increases that will hit residents’ and businesses’ wallets, retire a long-serving county official, and secure state funding for probation and parole services.
Starting January 1st, 2027, trash and recycling rates will increase. The commissioners approved a $5 per ton increase across the board. Municipal Solid Waste and demolition will rise to $60 per ton. Transfer station disposal will rise to $90 per ton. Single stream recycling will rise to $60 per ton. Both residential customers who self-haul and commercial haulers will feel the increase.
The rate hike comes because the landfill failed to turn an operational profit in 2025. The site only broke even because of state-mandated bank interest funds. Without that interest, the landfill would have lost between $1 million and $2 million. Heavy machinery operations rely entirely on vehicles, and rising fuel costs and global prices forced the adjustment. The county has also brought in external experts in solid waste management to address the facility’s structural issues.
The commissioners officially approved the retirement of Register and Recorder David A. Huffman, effective February 1st. His departure ends a long tenure in county leadership that recently included a high-profile legal dispute with the commissioners over plans to relocate his office to the Third Street Plaza. Huffman’s formal retirement letter cited personal health reasons and noted several upcoming surgeries. He did not explicitly mention the office-space dispute. The commissioners did not issue a broad public statement after the vote.
Because the Register and Recorder is an elected county position, the Governor typically nominates a candidate to fill a mid-term vacancy, which the state Senate then confirms, or the position remains empty until the next election cycle. Huffman’s departure may put the active litigation regarding the office relocation on hold.
The county successfully secured $180,281.88 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. This state grant fully funds the salaries of local adult probation and parole officers, so public safety oversight continues without adding an extra burden to the county’s local tax budget. Officers funded by this renewal grant oversee general county caseloads and specialized treatment courts, including the local Drug and DUI Court, Mental Health Court, Veterans Treatment Court, electronic monitoring programs, and community service coordination.
The commissioners approved $2,479,742.24 in recent invoices to keep county services running. Funding sources include the general fund at 66.38 percent, Act 13 funds at 31 percent, and American Rescue Plan Act dollars at 3.5 percent. The commissioners also approved an agreement for operations under the Domestic Relations department and secondary amendments to drop off recycling agreements with nearby partner municipalities outside the county.
The October 22nd meeting reflected how county government manages financial pressure alongside administrative changes. Trash rates go up because the landfill cannot sustain itself otherwise. A long-serving official retires for health reasons, creating a succession question the state will ultimately resolve. State grant money flows in to keep probation services staffed. The commissioners moved through each item methodically, understanding that governance requires both tough financial decisions and navigating personnel transitions.
