Blair County Adopts Budget Impasse Policy Ahead of June 30 State Deadline
Blair County has a new plan for surviving a state budget delay — with automatic spending restrictions that kick in as early as July 15 if Harrisburg misses its deadline.
HOLLIDAYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — Blair County commissioners have approved a “Budget Impasse Policy” outlining how the county will restrict spending if Pennsylvania lawmakers fail to pass a state budget on time, an issue that has occurred six times in the past decade.
Lindsay Dempsie, Blair County’s finance director, presented the policy at last Thursday’s commissioners meeting at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg. Pennsylvania’s state budget is due June 30, but last year’s budget wasn’t approved until November, forcing counties to seek loans, cut services, or draw down reserve funds.
What the Policy Does
The policy establishes six phases of spending restrictions tied to how long the state goes without an approved budget. Each phase triggers progressively tighter controls on county expenditures depending on how late lawmakers are in reaching a budget agreement.
Under the first phase, effective July 15 if no state budget has been passed, Blair County will stop paying invoices for its Children, Youth and Families department and its Social Services department. Both agencies rely heavily on state reimbursements, according to Commissioner Laura Burke, who also serves as a board member for both departments.
“When we do not receive state reimbursements we have,” Burke said in an email to WPSU, noting the financial strain those delays place on the agencies.
Dempsie said the policy is designed to protect the county from financial fallout. “This protects us, the county, financially in case of a state budget impasse if that should happen again,” Dempsie said at the meeting.
Dave Kessling, chairman of the county commissioners, expressed his expectations. “I’m sure it will,” Kessling said, responding to the possibility of another delay.
Last Year’s Impasse Strained County Services
The policy was developed in response to the difficulties Blair County experienced during the 2025 budget impasse. When the state went months without a signed budget last year, the county halted most payments to Children, Youth and Families and Social Services. The county also froze hiring and nearly furloughed or laid off staff members.
Pennsylvania counties that depend on state funding for social service programs are among the hardest hit when Harrisburg lawmakers miss the June 30 budget deadline. Blair County’s new policy aims to get ahead of that disruption by having a structured, pre-approved plan in place before any impasse begins.
A Recurring Problem in Harrisburg
Pennsylvania has seen six budget delays over the past decade, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Late budgets have repeatedly left counties scrambling to cover program costs typically reimbursed by the state, forcing local officials to make difficult short-term financial decisions without certainty about when state funds will arrive.
With the June 30 deadline approaching, Blair County commissioners say the new policy provides a clearer roadmap for protecting county finances and maintaining services if the state again fails to meet its budget deadline.
