HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s 2025 draft budget includes a capital reserve fund with money that could be used to buy land for a new county prison, county leaders confirmed Thursday.

During a presentation about the 2025 budget plan, Commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling asked Finance Director Lindsay Dempsie if money was designated for land.

While potential sites for a new prison have been under review and reportedly still under review, commissioners have not yet identified a specific site nor have taken any action publicly toward acquiring a site.

But the 2025 budget does have money in its capital reserve fund that could be used to purchase land, Dempsie told Kessling.

Based on Thursday’s presentation, the county’s capital reserve fund — generally designated for equipment and vehicle purchases — showed a beginning 2025 fund balance of $17.8 million and 2025’s projected expenses at

$11.6 million.

If commissioners identify a site for a new prison, state law requires the price paid to reflect a fair market value, which is generally determined through appraisals.

Meanwhile, the 2025 operating budget for the county’s current prison is estimated at $14.58 million, up from $13.93 million budgeted in 2024. That reflects an increase over 2023’s actual expenses of $13.35 million and 2022’s actual expenses totaling $12.09 million.

Thursday’s budget presentation followed the conclusion of a series of budget meetings in recent weeks where commissioners reviewed departmental revenue and expenses requests.

They also made budget cuts and mulled over how to balance a spending plan to be introduced at their Dec. 3 meeting and adopted Dec. 31, based on their current schedule.

Information presented Thursday showed the county’s 2025 revenue is projected at $49.48 million, which includes $38.81 million from real estate taxes, including the 8% increase.

Because the revenue projection falls short of covering expenses at $53.04 million, Dempsie identified the need to use $3.56 million from reserves to balance the 2025 budget.

So if the budget numbers are on target, the county ends 2025 with about $12.04 million in reserve funds to begin 2026, Dempsie predicted.

When Kessling and fellow Commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke met Tuesday to work on the budget, plans were made for the 0.361 increase in general fund real estate tax millage, thereby boosting the current levy from 4.522 mills to 4.883 mills. For a property assessed at $100,000, that means the owner will pay $36 more in county taxes, with the bill increasing from $452.20 to $488.30.

By levying the tax increase, the county expects to have enough money to afford as much as $2.14 million in pay increases to address what have been described as low pay and pay inequities.

The budget presentation also showed that salaries remain the county’s largest expenses, estimated at $16.44 million, up from 2024’s budgeted level of $15.7 million. The presentation also showed an allocation of $5.46 million for medical insurance, up from $4.99 million.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.