A State College Borough Council member is stepping down this month.
Josh Portney, the youngest member of the council, has tendered his resignation effective Jan. 13, he said in a release on Monday night.
A current Penn State Law student, Portney has accepted a clerkship with Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court, and judicial ethics prohibit him from holding public office while in the position, he explained.
“I have made ethics a cornerstone of my public service on State College Borough Council. As such, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my elected office,” Portney said in a statement. “I deeply treasured this experience of serving my community, and am truly excited for my colleagues to continue the work of responsibly facilitating State College’s growth and prominence as an international borough.”
Portney, a Democrat, won election to council in 2023 and has two years remaining on his term.
In his two years on council, Portney has perhaps most notably been a vocal critic of the now-imperiled intergovernmental Solar Power Purchase Agreement, at times clashing with other elected officials as he questioned how legal fees were handled and the overall viability of the project.
He’s also advocated for the continued oversight of the Centre Region Council of Governments’ Parks Capital Committee, and in 2024 got in a dustup with other council members over his remarks about possibly cutting back on full-time borough positions.
“I am thankful to have had the faith and support of my constituents, and it is my hope that the next Council member to hold this position continues my efforts to bring financial transparency and responsibility to the Borough and the Centre Region,” Portney said.
Council is accept Portney’s resignation at its Jan. 12 meeting. The remaining six members will have 45 days from the date of the resignation to appoint a replacement who will serve out the remainder of Portney’s term.
