Blair County commissioners target $7 million budget deficit for 2026

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair County commissioners continued working alongside the finance department to whittle down the county’s projected $7 million deficit for 2026 during a budget work session Friday morning.
In an excel spreadsheet projected onto the commissioner’s meeting room wall, Finance Director Lindsay Dempsie showed that, as of Oct. 21, the county was looking at 2026 revenue estimates of about $49,910,349 and expense requests of about $56,856,477. If the commissioners approved the expense requests as-is, Blair County would be facing a deficit of about $6,946,127.
Instead, Dempsie took the commissioners through the requests line-by-line.
Much of the meeting was spent going over the proposed budget for the county’s court administration, requested by President Judge Wade A. Kagarise. The total number of items the administration requested was about 6,062 at a cost of $1,384,666.
The largest line item was for the payment of jurors on jury selection days at $92,000. Dempsie said that number was based on the assumption that they would have five judges and therefore could have more juries.
“I think 92’s really high,” Commissioner Dave Kessling said.
He questioned how many of those scheduled jury trials end up taking a plea, so they don’t happen.
“I think they have been trying to find ways to have a backup so if someone pleads, they still have a different trial but it’s really hard on the attorneys,” Commissioner Laura Burke said. “The attorneys don’t like it because they can’t prepare properly.”
They ultimately decided to drop the amount from the requested $92,000 to 2024’s figure of $75,000.
This made the largest line item for constable services at $90,000.
The commissioners then lowered the requested amount for chair replacements in the jury box of courtroom two. Containing 14 chairs, the request was made for $7,000, or $500 a chair. The amount was halved to $3,500, or $250 a chair.
The court administration budget also listed new furniture for each of the judge’s chambers, including a bookshelf, filing cabinets, a desk, desk chairs, a small conference table, conference chairs and client chairs for $4,025. As the county will have five judges in 2026, the total cost of the furniture would be about $20,125.
Burke pointed out that when Kagarise and Judge David B. Consiglio moved into their respective courtrooms, they purchased items for themselves. She said Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard moved from courtroom five to three within the last few years, so her furniture needs “should have already been taken care of.”
“Other than for the two new judges, I would not budget anything for this,” Burke said. “If something breaks, it’s contingency or transferred from another line item.”
Commissioner Amy Webster said they also had furniture in storage, which is where she got two of her office chairs.
Kessling agreed and the entirety of the furniture requests were axed.
Other requested line items and proposed costs include seven items for $14,614 from the Sheriff’s Office and 11 items for $552,919 from Blair 911.
As for appropriation requests, the commissioners halved farmland preservation’s proposed $175,000 to $87,500. The budgeted amount for 2025 was $125,000.
“If we could give more, we would,” Kessling said. “And in the future, we may. But right now, we’re just not really in a good position.”
The Conservation District requested $85,000 after receiving $75,000 in 2025. Commissioners met in the middle and allocated $80,000.
The two largest appropriation requests came from the county’s new authorities with the Trail, Park & Rec Authority asking for $327,965 and the Convention Center Authority asking for $180,000.
Kessling immediately proposed lowering the Rec Authority to $250,000 and “seeing where it lands.”
“I would go a step further and say I would recommend with the Convention Center that 150 instead of 180,” Kessling said.
When Dempsie brought up a more detailed breakdown of the Rec Authority’s request, it listed the executive director’s salary at $80,000, with other items including digital marketing, grant writing, liability insurance, equipment, utilities, professional development, licenses and subscriptions.
The Convention Center Authority listed line items such as a marketing manager, billboards, magazine advertisements, space in neighboring counties’ chamber guides and marketing and promotion.
“We can’t give everybody what they’re asking,”
Kessling said, noting that they didn’t know how the two authorities were going to work together yet.
The commissioners ultimately agreed to Kessling’s recommendation.
The next budget work session will be held in the commissioner’s meeting room in the Blair County Courthouse basement on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.