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Pictured are Mifflin County Commissioner Noah Wise, Pennsylvania Department of Treasury Community Relations Program Manager Larry Booker, Secretary Robert Postal, and Secretary Kevin Kodish.
LEWISTOWN — On Thursday, Mifflin County Commissioners convened a regular meeting to discuss the new PA529 declaration, the Indigent Defense Grant application, and the Mifflin County Correctional Facility inspection report.
One of the main highlights of the meeting was the declaration of PA 529’s commitment to college and career savings in Mifflin County. The initiative aims to encourage residents to plan for funding their education and career training. Commissioners emphasized the importance of early financial planning to ensure a bright future for children and families in the county.
Secretary Robert Postal read the proclamation and said: “The Mifflin County Commissioners believe that financial planning is the first step to ensuring a brighter future for the children and families of Mifflin County, including planning for college and job training.” He emphasized the role of employers in supporting employees with children through policies that encourage contributions to PA 529 accounts.
The declaration outlines that employers can help their employees by educating them about the PA 529 program and enabling automatic payroll deductions into these accounts. Commissioners are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Treasury to promote this initiative and encourage other employers in the county to follow suit.
Larry Booker, community relations program manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Treasury, detailed the benefits of the PA 529 program during the meeting.
“Every dollar you save is a dollar you won't need to borrow tomorrow. By making consistent contributions, even small amounts can grow over time and provide substantial support for future education costs. can be provided.” Booker said.
Commissioners also discussed an application for an indigent defense grant aimed at strengthening the resources and capacity of the public defender's office. Public Defender Sean Curry provided details, explaining the increasing caseload and the need for additional support to effectively serve economically underserved populations.
“Our main focus is to ensure that individuals who cannot afford private legal representation receive the best possible defense. This grant will help us acquire case management software and add staff and provide more comprehensive support to our clients.” Curry said.
He emphasized that the funding will enable the office to more efficiently manage cases and respond to a wide range of client needs, including those related to mental health and substance abuse.
Director Jason Komanick also reported on the recent inspection of the Mifflin County Correctional Facility by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. This facility is fully compliant with state standards and received a positive rating. Mr. Kolmanik praised the dedication of the staff and noted that the facility's exemplary performance has led to the next inspection being scheduled for 2026.
“This is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of our staff. We strive to not only meet standards, but exceed them, and this recognition is a testament to our efforts.” Kolmanich said.
He brought several staff members to the meeting and acknowledged their contributions. The Postmaster General shared a letter from the Department of Corrections praising the facility's high standards.
In other news, commissioners said:
• Approves a discharge of 2023 real estate tax delinquencies and relieves Deputy Commissioner of Taxation Kathy Whitsell from collecting this tax: Parcel Number 17,33-0514-,001 – Mobile home has been removed.
• 2024 County Poll Tax Waiver Approved: McVaytown Borough Tax Collector Brooke Nable-7, Juniata Terrace Borough Tax Collector Susie Tyson-5.
• A partial county real estate tax refund was approved: Granville Township Parcel Number 17,05-0101A – Temporary Diminished Value Due to Fire Damage (2023) – $49.84, Derry Township Parcel Number 16,09-0464-Residential Square Footage Error (2019-24) – $1,553.22, Armor Township Parcel Number 12,19-0105M, Area Error (2018-2023) – $343.08.
• On behalf of the Geisinger School of Nursing, approved a subrecipient agreement with the Geisinger Clinic for a $100,000 grant to support the purchase of new SIM software/hardware to provide training methods to nursing students. did.
The following personnel matters have been approved.
• Hired Tyson Masler as a probation officer, effective May 20th.
• Correctional Officer Joshua Berger resigns as of May 6th.
• Correctional Officer Garrett Nichols resigns as of May 23rd.
・Karima Mack was transferred from full-time to part-time correctional officer, effective May 19th.
• Hiring Cameron Rose and Deborah Beaga as part-time correctional officers, effective May 28.
・Trenton Kaufman and Lauren Peace were promoted from part-time correctional officers to full-time correctional officers, effective May 19.
• Promoting Wyatt Henry from part-time correctional officer to full-time correctional officer, effective May 26.
