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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- When outgoing Blair County Commissioner Bruce Erb took office in January 2016, the county's retirement fund was facing bankruptcy and the reserve fund balance had decreased to dangerous levels, county Controller A.C. Stickel said Thursday morning.
When he ran for his first term in office, Erb said he made two promises: to only serve two terms as commissioner and to apply business knowledge from his banking career to improve the county's finances.
Though he recognized there's still work to do, Erb said he's going to enjoy retirement by catching up with his leisure reading and spending time with his family. He also plans to do volunteer work in areas of interest, like housing and mental health.
Erb received praise from his peers during his final commissioners' meeting in the Blair County Courthouse, which only lasted about 15 minutes since commissioners did not have any new business to address.
Stickel said he and Erb took office at the same time, and their work together has only strengthened their friendship over the years.
"We came during a tumultuous time," Stickel said, adding the county has a healthier general fund balance and better communication because of Erb's efforts. "Bruce faced those challenges head on and led the board of commissioners and county government in an incredibly positive direction."
He said the commissioners supported his office by implementing new technology that made their work more efficient and by establishing a finance committee, which increased communication within the county's financial offices.
"Commissioner Erb led the last two boards through some incredibly challenging times -- reassessment, COVID, high inflation and more," he said. "Without Bruce's leadership, I don't know where we would be."
Commissioner Laura Burke said Erb has been a good mentor to her because of his work experience as a federal bank examiner from 1976 until he took office in 2016.
"He's been a good mentor to me, especially with his financial experience. That was something I didn't have coming into the county," she said. "Being able to learn from him really helped me be successful as a commissioner."
Erb said he was appreciative of his colleagues' hard work and noted that "nothing gets done here in county government without a team effort."
"Commissioners get nothing done unless they have a great chief clerk," he said, adding he's grateful to have worked with former Chief Clerk Helen Schmidt and current Chief Clerk/County Administrator Nicole Hemminger.
"People don't realize the hours they put in, the responsibilities that they take on, and I'm truly grateful for what both of them have done."
Erb said, although it's tough to choose, he's most proud of improving the county's financial circumstances and improving the county's technology through IT projects "that make government work better and run more efficiently."
He said two terms was enough for him to implement new ideas and he thinks change is a necessary dynamic to move organizations forward.
"I came in with lots of ideas that were very different, and I got to do most of those," Erb said. "Now it's time for other people to do that."
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.