CENTRE COUNTY — Centre Region municipal leaders opened 2026 by laying out a wide-ranging slate of priorities from major development projects and housing policy to transportation safety, zoning overhauls and long-term budget pressures during the recent Centre Region Municipal Managers’ Update event, hosted by the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County.
Chamber President and CEO Greg Scott said the annual update offers “valuable, timely insight” into the places where residents live and work and comes as municipalities and regional partners continue strategic planning tied to the Centre Region Strategic Plan and Centre County’s economic development strategy.
Leaders from College Township, Patton Township, Ferguson Township, Harris Township, State College Borough and the Centre Region Council of Governments addressed infrastructure, housing, planning, services and workforce issues before a Q-and-A panel.
Adam Brumbaugh, College Township
College Township Manager Adam Brumbaugh said the township closed out its 150th anniversary celebration last fall and adopted a 2026 budget with no property tax increase. He noted the last property tax increase in College Township was for the 2021 budget year.
Brumbaugh highlighted various staffing changes. With staffing growth, he said the township is “running out of interior space” and will move forward with a study-driven interior retrofit that will extend into 2027.
He provided an update on the Happy Valley Casino planned for the former Macy’s at the Nittany Mall, saying construction and renovation are nearing completion and an opening is anticipated in April 2026.
Brumbaugh cited projections of 350 full-time equivalent jobs, nearly $20 million in direct and indirect earnings impact within Centre County and more than 600,000 annual visits. He also detailed anticipated tax impacts to College Township and the State College Area School District, plus host municipality fees he said could generate about $1.2 million annually for the township and an additional $1.2 million annually dedicated to the county for projects deemed in the public interest.
He also discussed the Crew 814 development, a multi-phase plan that he said includes more than 600 market-rate units overall, with phase one expected to begin construction in 2026. The first phase includes 191 units plus a community center, he said, and the project is expected to produce 64 workforce housing units by the end of phase two.
Brumbaugh said College Township continues work on a form-based code effort in the Dale Summit area around the mall, aimed at enabling mixed-use, higher-density development and residential uses. He said public hearings and adoption are anticipated by the end of 2026.
He also pointed to multiple development of regional impact projects tied to the regional growth boundary and sewer service areas, including the Hamer Community Conservation Center facility under construction along Houserville Road, a proposed 47-bed rehabilitation hospital and a long-term plan for an Advanced Research Labs expansion along Innovation Boulevard.
Amy Farkas, Patton Township
Patton Township Manager Amy Farkas said Patton is a “growing, dynamic community” of about 16,000 residents and highlighted short-term rental regulation as a major initiative.
Farkas said the township adopted regulations in June requiring a rental housing permit for anyone renting a home for more than one day and implemented a nuisance-point system aimed at noise, parking and other neighborhood disruptions. She said five points triggers a meeting and corrective action plan, and 10 points can result in permit revocation for one year.
Farkas said the township believes it has about 350 short-term rentals, with 41 permitted, and is working with a software company to identify additional unpermitted properties. She said the township will report back to supervisors in June 2026 with findings and potential regulatory adjustments.
“Atherton Street has become my pet project,” Farkas said, arguing for additional tools to address speeding and safety. She said Patton worked to be included in a statewide study on automated speed enforcement and pointed to traffic volumes and crash history along the corridor. She said Patton also is looking ahead to broader corridor planning tied to redevelopment, access management, transit, pedestrian needs and bicycle safety.
Farkas also described updated home occupation rules adopted in 2025, new traffic signals required as part of development and several approved projects including a continuing care retirement community phase, a restaurant project and a proposed general store-style market along Buffalo Run Road.
Looking to 2026, she emphasized attainable housing, calling it essential to economic growth. “We cannot continue to kick the can down the curb and tell people, you can work here, but you can’t live here,” she said.
Tom King, Ferguson Township
Newly appointed Interim Ferguson Township Manager Tom King said he is three weeks into the job and expects the township to hire a permanent manager by July 1, making 2026 a “year of transition.”
King said Ferguson is working toward financial stability and acknowledged the township adopted a budget with a $3.7 million deficit, calling it unsustainable. He said the township is looking at multi-year strategies that address both revenue and expenditures.
He also pointed to organizational stability, describing a leadership team with relatively short tenure at Ferguson but extensive experience, and said the township must fill necessary vacancies while staying fiscally responsible.
King said economic development is tied to budget health and cited large planned residential developments such as Foxpointe and The Landings, which he said could support attainable housing. He said the township’s approach is to find “a path forward” with development proposals while accounting for traffic impacts and safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
He also noted a shift toward contracted engineering services as a cost-effective approach and highlighted planned safety improvements, including a grant-funded rapid flashing beacon and pedestrian island on Science Park Road.
Mark Boeckel, Harris Township
Harris Township Manager Mark Boeckel reviewed recent updates to township regulations, including amendments to zoning and subdivision ordinances, a new landscaping approach and updated home occupation and sign regulations.
Boeckel said Harris adopted short-term rental rules in December covering rentals of 29 days or less, requiring a township license and a rental housing permit. He said the ordinance limits short-term rental use to 120 nights per year and generally requires owner occupancy, with limited exemptions for existing operations.
He said Harris plans to overhaul its transient retail merchant license ordinance covering door-to-door sales and vendors at events. Boeckel also described planning work underway in Boalsburg, including proposed zoning districts intended to encourage adaptive reuse while maintaining historic character and addressing long-standing parking issues.
Boeckel said Harris continues to monitor the State College Area Connector project and voiced concerns about a proposal to expand Route 45 from two lanes to five lanes in a short segment near the planned interchange. He said the township encouraged PennDOT to reconsider and to include pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
He also highlighted planned sidewalk repairs in Boalsburg, a grant-funded pedestrian crossing at Boal Avenue and Old Boalsburg Road with lighting and rapid flashing beacons and a park improvement project adding ADA-accessible fishing piers at Tussey Pond Park.
Tom Fountaine, State College Borough
State College Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said the borough began 2026 with a new police chief, Joe Merrill, sworn in Jan. 5. Merrill most recently served with the Altoona Police Department.
Fountaine said the borough continues to face a structurally unbalanced budget for the fourth consecutive year and will spend significant time evaluating service levels, revenue opportunities and fee structures.
Fountaine said the borough is working to complete its long-running comprehensive zoning rewrite, with a council special meeting scheduled for Feb. 10. He said priorities include increasing housing opportunities, recalibrating downtown development standards and reducing residential parking minimums to support additional long-term housing.
He also provided an update on downtown parking, saying structural repairs to the Pugh Street garage are expected in 2026 and could extend its life eight to 10 years, delaying larger replacement decisions.
He also outlined transportation initiatives including a second phase of the Green Light-Go signal coordination project, upcoming work tied to the next phase of North Atherton improvements and construction timelines for Calder Way utility upgrades.
Kimberly McMillan, Centre Region Council of Governments
Centre Region COG Finance Director Kimberly McMillan, speaking in place of Executive Director Ben Estelle, said the agency’s work across its core programs is being shaped by themes of technology, transparency and training.
McMillan said the COG supports regional services including fire protection and emergency management, planning, code administration, parks and recreation, the library and administrative functions. She highlighted software upgrades aimed at improved data management and said code officials want to work directly with realtors as major rental and commercial change-of-use updates unfold.
She also pointed to Whitehall Road Regional Park’s opening, including its ADA playground. McMillan said the planning office secured $1.6 million in safety and resilience grants and noted ongoing renovations and digital service growth at the Schlow Centre Region Library.
