State College Transportation Commission Member Matt Herndon Enters Borough Council Race

A current State College Transportation Commission member is joining the race for State College Borough Council in this year’s election.

Democrat Matt Herndon became a regular attendee and public commenter at council meetings after witnessing a driver strike a cyclist on Allen Street, a crash he believed was compounded by faulty road design. His participation at meetings eventually led to his appointment to the transportation commission.

“What I learned is that transportation safety and affordability are inextricably linked with zoning, and that the final decisions on these matters truly lie with the Borough Council,” Herndon, a resident of the borough since 2018, said in a news release on Tuesday night. “I’m running for this seat so that I can help State College become a great city that is ready for the future. We need to build enough affordable housing to bring prices back to reasonable levels so that those who work in the Borough can afford to live here.”

A programmer with a degree in computer science from Cornell University, Herndon said he uses his skills to focus on climate change through his work for Voltus, a company that aims to save utility customers money and cut total emissions by addressing demand response.

“We need to make State College a truly green city of the future, and not a source of sprawl that converts precious farmland and wild areas into far-flung housing developments,” he said. “Safely building more dense housing here can make our town a truly world-class city with lower taxes and better government services.”

He added that he has “a knack for understanding large, complex system,” which he hopes to use to help address housing and transportation safety challenges.

“I’m excited to work with Borough Council to finalize and implement the zoning rewrite and mobility plan they kicked off. I’ve seen deep caring from existing council members who want to make it so kids can safely walk to school, so workers can get to their jobs without spending hundreds of dollars a month on gas, and so new residents who want to find a home here can do so,” Herndon said. “I look forward to working with the council on these important issues.”

Herndon and his wife, a Penn State engineering professor, have two children.

He is a member of Central PA United, a grassroots organization of Centre County residents that works to elect progressive candidates with diverse life experiences. The group will hold a volunteer event in support of his candidacy on Feb. 18. Central PA United saw all of its candidates in the 2021 State College Borough Council and Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors races win election.

Herndon is the fourth candidate to announce plans to run for borough council this year. Current council member Nalini Krishnankutty is seeking a two-year term, while former council member Evan Myers and planning commission member Josh Portney are seeking four year-terms.

Five State College Borough Council seats are up for election in 2023. Those seats are currently held by Krishnankutty, Jesse Barlow, Deanna Behring, Janet Engeman and Peter Marshall.

Barlow, the current council president, and Engeman are both reaching the end of consecutive four-year terms and will not be eligible to run for council in 2023. Behring and Marshall have not yet announced if they intend to run.

The municipal primary election is slated for May 16. Candidates can circulate and file nomination petitions starting on Feb. 14.