Vendors and contractors doing business in Lycoming County were put on notice.

Spurred by several change orders adding costs not previously approved with the county finance team or board of commissioners, commissioners will, apparently, soon refuse to pay those unauthorized expenses or bills.

Certain vendors are doing the work, adding in change orders, without getting proper approval from the board of commissioners.

“That’s got to stop,” Commissioner Marc C. Sortman said.

“Whether it is the county staff or vendors doing it, eventually we are going to take a hard line, and if it’s not approved, you will not get paid,” he said.

Examples noted at the meeting include an amount of change orders that led the interim director of maintenance to choose to table for some review along with separate change orders regarding attorneys fees.

“So, for any vendors that are listening to the meeting or contractors out there and if you are not getting approval prior to getting the work, you’re going to be in trouble. We’re not going to pay the bill and you’re going to have to fight us for that,” Sortman said with Commissioner Mark Mussina and Mya Toon, county director of financial management, on the table. Commissioner Scott Metzger was not at the meeting and Sortman was speaking on behalf of the board.

It is a stance the board of commissioners and the finance team do not want to but will eventually take, he said.

“Our financial team has got to know what is being spent,” Sortman said.

Vendors and contractors can’t tell them after the fact, ‘Oh by the way,’ he said.

And it’s also part of a goal in 2026 to have the county pass a balanced budget, the first in 25 years in the county, he said.