After reports earlier this year that the landfill was a financial drain on the county, the Lycoming County Commissioners approved some steps that are directed at alleviating that problem.

Thirteen positions, including the director’s, at the Resource Management Services department were removed from the TDA (Table of Distribution and Allowances). All but one of the positions, according to the commissioners, have been vacant for some time which signalled that maybe they were not needed. The only position currently staffed is being eliminated as soon as the employee filling it resigns, which the commissioners indicated was expected to be soon.

“It seems like a lot,” admitted Commissioner Marc Sortman.

“There’s a lot of positions that have been empty for a long time that are not necessary at that facility and it’s in line with trying to create a profit in our recycling and landfill operation,” he said.

Sortman admitted that eliminating the director’s position might be concerning to some people.

“Gary Staggert, who is over there as the operations’ manager is doing a very good job for us as an operations manager and with our new director here at the county, Shannon Barnes, she basically has absorbed the responsibilities of the director of the RMS position, so the position isn’t going away, per se, it’s just being filled in a different direction,” Sortman said.

Positions at RMS being eliminated include: chief training and risk management; courier/parts runner; the director’s position; four equipment operator positions; operations supervisor; professional engineer; truck driver at the transfer station; transfer station supervisor; material recovery coordinator; and work crew foreman.

In addition to the RMS positions, the following have been eliminated in other departments as part of the TDA clean-up: in the Planning and Community Development department, two transportation planners; at the Pre-Release Center, a work crew foremen supervisor; in the Department of Public Safety, the communications training coordinator and the senior public safety GIS program manager.

“As we move to remove these 18 positions off the TDA, the Salary Board will also be looking at 35 more next week to take off the TDA,” said Commissioner Scott Metzger.

“The county has roughly about 550 full-time employees. I spoke to someone who used to be in county government…and he said 20 years ago the county was at 375, so you can see how county government has grown,” Metzger said.

He explained that positions are sitting open or “truly not necessary.”

“We’ve talked to different department heads, elected officials and they say they can do more with less by eliminating some of the positions,” Metzger said.

He noted that the positions are not necessarily gone forever.

“Going into 2026, we would say to those elected officials and department heads, if you absolutely need a position that’s been eliminated, bring it to the Salary Board and bring your documentation. We’ll take a look at it,” he said.

“At the same time, we have to get them off the TDA and reduce some of what’s been on there for a long time,” he added.

Insurance costs for the county are calculated by the number of positions on the TDA.

The commissioners, along with Nikki Gottschall, acting controller, met as the Salary Board and approved the following changes: reclassify the Director of Public Safety from paygrade 14 to paygrade 13; and reclassify two maintenance II positions, paygrade 7 in Facilities Management to Maintenance I positions, paygrade 6.

The Director of Public Safety position is being posted and Metzger encouraged interested persons to apply.