Burg Review: “Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom’s Witness” tells the story of an overlooked Harrisburg hero with “pure poetry”

February 13, 2026 | by Gina Napoli

To celebrate Black History Month, Harrisburg is privileged to meet one of its adopted sons, Ephraim Slaughter, a Civil War Union Army veteran, community leader, and philanthropist who was born into slavery in 1846. Sankofa African American Theatre Company and Gamut Theatre tell his story through the poignant one-act play, “Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom’s Witness,” breathed into life by Director Sharia Benn, Pennsylvania playwright Teresa Miller, and several resident descendants who proudly claim lineage to their ancestor.

When we meet Ephraim Slaughter (Marcus McGhee), he is puttering around his living room dressed in a simple robe, listening to the staticky hum of an old-time radio. When he finds his way into his easy chair and sips from a delicate teacup, I feel ready to comfortably slide right along with him into the memories surrounding him. His bookshelf holds not only books, but mementoes like a brown globe, a canteen, and a leather urn, next to faded pictures and recently shined medals (Props Designer, Alex Winnick).

When he tells his life story, all comfort falls away. Slaughter escapes a plantation in North Carolina to enlist in the United States Colored Troops. He fought for our country’s freedom while finding his personal freedom. Then he changed into a bellhop uniform to fold napkins, meeting his wife in a hotel kitchen. Moving Slaughter’s life story through time and eventually to Harrisburg, McGhee deftly shifts his character’s age and various roles through simple costume changes (Costume Designer, Callie Lythgoe). McGhee, who shaved his head to embody the main character, creates an incredibly convincing Ephraim Slaughter.

Through his many life stations, Slaughter reminisces about the people alive in his memories, many of whom did not treat him well. Mystical voices from the past drift in and out of the hazy dream that memories and history become when they are cobbled together from historians and binders in dusty corners. The voices of Afrofuturism echo throughout, suggesting that Slaughter’s past of resistance is linked to the voices of the future. He stands as the embodiment of the sum of his memories, feeding his own experiences into future generations. Disembodied voices signify that there is more to his story than what we see right in front of us. (Voice-Over Cast: Clark Nicholson, Sergeant James McCall; General Benjamin Butler, Jeff Wasileski; Georgiana Slaughter, Leah Payne. Afrofuturistic Voice-Over Cast: Ursula Ayler, Weimy Montero Candelario, Lunden McClain, Najuma Norman, and David Payne. Sound Designer, Callie Lythgoe).

Each voice is channeled by Slaughter’s granddaughter, Yvonne Pittman (Melinda Anderson), who waves her hands to whoosh the voices in. Anderson also serves as the Narrator as the hands of time tick by. The symbolism of hands carries through Slaughter’s life story. He picked cotton with raw fingers, and later folded napkins while meeting his first wife, whose hands were caked with flour. Then he asked for the hand of a woman 43 years his junior to be his marital companion. These same hands passed the baton to the generations that followed, who press back at his likeness through museum glass.

The play’s dialogue is pure poetry. I find myself wondering if the humble, quiet Ephraim Slaughter spoke lyrically in real life, or if poetic license crept in. I quickly decide that I don’t care. I love the way the dialogue lilts its way into my brain, gliding across my ears first. Plus, the life story of a pillar of Harrisburg deserves flowery pomp and circumstance, with a little extra sprinkled in to compensate for the many times he was overlooked. And this play is focused on him, so he can hold the floor as long as he wants, and drop the mic when he decides.

“Memory is our greatest defense against erasure. This is truly a Sankofa piece, merging past, present, and truly, the future, bringing in elements of Afrofuturism,” Benn said of the two-year project. Research sources included members of Slaughter’s own family. His great-granddaughter, Dr. Sharonn Williams, shared her talents as historian and genealogist. You may be privileged enough to attend a performance with the real-life Yvonne Pittman. I was, and she shared wonderful memories of her grandfather’s pride and philanthropy surrounding homeownership during a time, according to Pittman, when Black folks didn’t own their own homes.

To me, up until this play, Ephraim Slaughter was just another statue at the National Civil War Museum, and the name on the placard of the Ephraim Slaughter American Legion Post 733, set at the entrance to Reservoir Park. Both tributes stand just as humbly as the man who, through 97 years and 19 presidents, “wrote down his life so we would know what it cost to get here.”

“Ephraim Slaughter: Freedom’s Witness” runs Feb. 14-22 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4^th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.sankofatheatrehbg.com/ or https://www.gamuttheatre.org/sankofa.

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Harrisburg, CREDC ask for stakeholder input on survey to kick off downtown revitalization plan

February 13, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

A stretch of downtown Harrisburg on N. 3rd Street

A group of state and local leaders is looking to Harrisburg residents, business owners, workers and visitors for help with a revitalization plan for downtown Harrisburg.

The Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and Harrisburg are asking stakeholders to complete an online survey in order to best understand people’s “perception” of the city’s struggling downtown.

The survey asks participants to weigh in on their view of the area’s restaurants, businesses, overall appearance and availability of activities, among other things.

Harrisburg spokesperson Mischelle Moyer explained that the survey is the “first step” in a broader engagement process that will guide policy decisions, economic development priorities and public-private partnerships as a downtown revitalization plan moves forward.

“Engagement ensures that our strategy reflects the lived experience of residents and the practical realities of business owners,” Moyer said. “It also builds shared ownership. When the community helps shape the vision, the community is more invested in its success.”

Several entities, including CREDC, the city, area legislators and the state, are combining forces to fund and draft a revitalization plan for downtown Harrisburg. In addition, Gov. Josh Shapiro said earlier this month he had state dollars “available” for the project if a comprehensive vision could be established.

Ryan Unger, president & CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, noted that CREDC’s role in the process will be to bring together all groups collaborating on the effort.

After gathering data from the survey, which was developed by Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the revitalization team hopes to identify early opportunities for revitalization and identify areas for further research.

“We want to produce a short-term action plan within the very near future,” Unger said. “At the same time, we know that we need a longer-term vision and revitalization plan, and that’s also a part of our work as we go forward.”

Unger said the survey is an initial step in the planning process and that it’s important to gather the public’s input.

“You need a starting point to try to understand where people think of the downtown, but also what they would like to see,” he said.

If you ask local business stakeholders, possible areas for improvement include more daytime activities for tourists and fewer abandoned or vacant buildings. That’s according to Little Amps Business Development lead Mia Song, who formerly managed the coffee shop’s downtown State Street location.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on the downtown’s business corridor.

She also said that when the state House is in session, Little Amps, just down the street from the Capitol, sees a high number of customers coming in the door, but that business can be pretty slow otherwise—especially in the winter.

“We need help from the state,” she said. “I hope that the state incentivizes people to come into the city.”

Song added another perception issue: safety during the city’s festivals. There have been several safety incidents in recent years, such as a woman driving through barriers and injuring several at Kipona Festival this past year. In 2024, the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show was cut short due to several people carrying guns.

“I know people who don’t live in the city too are deterred to come here,” Song said.

Meanwhile, Trik Sadi, owner of the downtown crepe shop Au Bon Lieu Bistro, theorized that more activities downtown during the day, like these festivals, might help bring in people to support businesses like his.

Right now, he said, foot traffic downtown is so low that he must work another job to cover his expenses. Many former customers, who are state workers, are now working from home, he said, and the high cost of parking is a big issue for other customers.

”The downtown now is very, very, very tough,” said Sadi.

Pat Davis, who owns Hornung’s True Value on N. 2nd Street, agrees that downtown parking is a major barrier for customers. When her customers get parking tickets, she worries they might not return.

She thinks that 15-minute free parking on downtown streets would make a world of difference for business owners like herself.

“That would change the whole scenario,” Davis said.

According to Unger, the survey will be available to the public for at least a week, maybe more, depending on the number of responses logged at that time. Additional outreach and engagement with downtown businesses will follow, he said.

“I think there’s definitely a lot of thoughts–a lot of desire to help improve downtown Harrisburg,” he said.

To learn more about or participate in the survey, visit HBGsurvey.com. The primary focus area of the survey on downtown Harrisburg is from Front to 7th streets and Mulberry to Forster streets.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

February 13, 2026 | by TheBurg Staff

New chair Paul Gellerman speaks to the Broad Street Market Alliance board.

It’s been a busy news week in Harrisburg—catch up on the latest news about a legal settlement between Harrisburg’s city council and mayor, the school district’s latest step in a decision for the future of William Penn, and more. Our weekly coverage is compiled for you below:

Dauphin County Concert Series announced two summer shows. The Riverfront Park-based series will feature alt-pop-soul-jazz fusion group Lake Street Dive on Friday, July 31 and eclectic jam group The String Cheese Incident on Aug. 5, our online story reports.

Harrisburg City Council and Mayor Wanda Williams settled a disagreement over council’s defunding of several top city positions Tuesday, avoiding a legal appeal, as seen in our online story. Council subsequently refunded some of the positions in question.

Harrisburg Green Alliance, a new nonprofit dedicated to beautifying the city’s public spaces, launched this month. Learn more about it in our February magazine story.

Harrisburg school district will hold a public hearing this spring around the planned closure of two middle schools. Read more in our online story.

Harrisburg school officials are recommending demolishing the century-old William Penn High School and using the property for athletic fields. Read more in our online story.

Harrisburg-area home sale prices were largely flat in January, our online story reported.

Lenwood Sloan was a Harrisburg artist, activist, visionary and friend who died suddenly in December. Read more about his life and legacy in our February magazine story.

Midtown Cinema will begin showing “Wuthering Heights” tonight. Find out our movie reviewer’s thoughts on the film, as seen in our February issue, here.

Nate Davidson, a Harrisburg-area legislator, has decided to run for a second term. He announced on Tuesday that he would seek re-election to the 103rd legislative district House seat, according to our online story.

Open Stage’s new original parody play “Stoney Brook” imagines the adolescent characters from the book series “The Baby-Sitters Club” as adults, 30 years into the future. Our reviewer said it “hits that sweet spot of childhood, then turns it salty.” Find our full review here.

Pennsylvania officials warned the public to stay off the ice on frozen waterways. Read more here.

Sara Bozich has compiled the best events of the weekend in her Weekend Roundup, including fun Valentine’s Day events like Cake Decorating Night at Anna Rose Bakery and Galentine’s Night: Fries Before Guys at Karma. Check out the full list.

Theatre Harrisburg is bringing Broadway to the city with Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” a high-concept romantic musical dramedy. Read our review of the performance here.

Valentine’s Day weekend is here. If you’re looking for a cute craft to do (for kids or adults) check out this conversation-starter keychain, as seen in our February issue.

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Harrisburg mayor says legal agreement with City Council is a “compromise,” not “celebration”

February 12, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Mayor Wanda Williams spoke about her agreement with City Council during a press conference in city hall.

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams said that, while she and City Council reached an agreement on funding for top officials, she doesn’t see the compromise as a victory.

During a press conference on Thursday morning, Williams addressed her agreement with council following a legal battle over council’s defunding of several top positions as part of the 2026 budget.

“This is not a victory speech. It is a statement of compromise,” Williams said. “This is a necessary step to move the city of Harrisburg forward.”

Earlier this week, council and Williams filed a joint agreement in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas to re-fund a few of the positions that council had previously defunded, including the business administrator and project director for business administration/LERTA and create a new director of economic development position.

In the budget, council also removed funding for the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations and partially defunded the director of building and housing and economic development. Those changes will stand.

Williams sued council in early January, alleging that council acted outside of its power, however, Dauphin County Judge Jeffrey Engle sided with council in his decision. A week later, council and Williams came to an agreement.

Council members, during a Tuesday legislative session, praised the agreement. Council Vice President Lamont Jones called it a “new day” for the city and a “shining moment.” Other council members saw it as a step forward for the city and for the relationship between council and the mayor.

In contrast, Williams said that the compromise with council was not something to celebrate.

“I do not confuse compromise with celebration,” she said. “My responsibility is not to win arguments. It is to protect the interests of the residents of the city of Harrisburg […] Compromise is sometimes necessary to keep a city moving. That is what great leadership does.”

Williams said that she didn’t “love” the terms of the agreement, but said that “because the voters, the taxpayers and residents deserve a city government that is unified,” she accepted the terms.

Terms of the agreement included Williams hiring a new business administrator and ending the practice of appointing “interim” directors and having council approve of new hires, an issue that informed council’s original decision to cut funding to two directors.

Williams and council did not meet as part of the negotiation process, but had their attorneys come to an agreement. Williams said that she has not met with council since then either.

When TheBurg asked if she would consider setting a meeting with council to work on their relationship, Williams said that her door is always open to council, but that no one has come to her office.

“This door is always open,” Williams said. “I even stay here until 6 or 7 o’clock at night. You’ll catch me here many a night. Two of them [council members] have jobs, the other five probably don’t have jobs, and I am here if they need me for any kind of information.”

Williams said that the city will begin searching for new employees to fill the business administrator, project director for business administration/LERTA and new director of economic development positions.

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Broad Street Market Alliance elects new board chair; new fried chicken stand opens today

February 12, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

New chair Paul Gellerman sits in the center at the Broad Street Market Alliance Board meeting.

The Broad Street Market Alliance has new leadership.

At a special board meeting last week, former alliance secretary Paul Gellerman was elected chair of the nonprofit that manages the market’s daily operations and marketing as well as vendor relations.

The new chair announced the change at the alliance’s monthly board meeting Wednesday night.

In addition, Doug Rickards was elected vice chair (a formerly vacant position) and Bryan Davis was elected secretary (formerly held by Gellerman). Merrick Green remains the board’s treasurer.

Gellerman said the new leadership team was looking forward to adding more structure to the meetings and increasing board member participation.

“One of the expectations is everybody on the board is participating,” he said. “That participation can take many different forms, but really the expectation of communication—if you’re unable to attend a meeting, that’s getting at least communicated.”

Previous board chair Tashia James, who remains on the board, was not present at January’s meeting and other board members noted that she had missed several other meetings.

“We are all really looking forward to moving along together,” Gellerman added on the leadership transition.

Board committee member and market vendor representative Tito Tep, owner of Tep’s Fresh Seafood, thanked the public for being patient with the alliance as they reorganized.

He said the alliance’s struggles with posting meeting minutes and other records on its website over the last several months had frustrated not just the public, but board members too.

“Thank you for being patient and giving us time to get our house in order and to put our best foot forward moving forward,” Tep said. “I think I have a really good feeling that it’s going to work out.”

The board also noted Wednesday that a new market vendor, Damien’s Fried Chicken, is scheduled for a soft opening in the market today. The vendor will serve a variety of fried foods including chicken, liver and gizzards.

“Encourage everybody to stop by,” Gellerman said.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

February 12, 2026 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find below:

For something new: Adult Scholastic Book Fair with Cupboard Maker Books at Appalachian Brewing Company Mechanicsburg on Sunday; Broken Hearts Brunch at Tequila Willies on Sunday

Worth noting: Ample Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day events, excellent live music at various venues

Things on my agenda this weekend: youth baseball ?! maybe V-Day brunch on Sunday?

If you like what we do, please support our work.

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Harrisburg school administration recommends demolition of William Penn, construction of athletic fields

February 11, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

William Penn High School

Top Harrisburg school officials are recommending demolishing the century-old William Penn High School and using the property for athletic fields.

After reviewing a slate of options for the district’s long-vacant William Penn building, Superintendent Benjamin Henry on Tuesday presented the administration’s assessment of each possibility to the school board.

Considering all the options’ levels of risk for the district and levels of benefit for Harrisburg students, Henry said that the administration feels that the “best” path for the district would be demolishing the building and constructing athletic fields on the former vocational school’s land.

Athletic fields would be a positive, student-focused move that would help the district expand girls’ athletics, per the administration’s analysis.

“We are growing athletic programs in middle school and especially in our girls’ sports,” Henry explained.

The sprawling 100-year-old building, last in use 15 years ago, sits on an adjoining 27 acres of land, overlooking Italian Lake. Officials have weighed what to do with the property since it was vacated.

“I want to make sure everyone understands that this meeting is for the board to understand all the pros and cons over all the proposals, all the options that we’ve been reviewing,” Henry said.

He clarified that the presentation was meant to provide school board members with a comprehensive analysis for informed decision-making in the future.

“This is not just about a building. This is about student safety, fiscal responsibility and educational equality, and again, how we move the district forward,” he added.

School administrators previously expressed that they would like to create a new soccer field for the varsity girls soccer team, who are currently practicing in the outfield of a boys’ baseball field.

In addition to girls’ soccer, the district wants to pilot flag football for middle school girls next year, he noted. He said the administration was recommending the option, above others, because it aligned with the district’s K-12 mission and because of its moderately low risk.

“One of the biggest things: it provides flexibility as we continue to grow and continue to look at programming needs,” Henry said.

The project, which would include a multi-year capital commitment, according to the presentation, would also align with the district’s recovery plan. Installing a new soccer field on the property was quoted at $896,000, according to a years-long comprehensive plan for infrastructure upgrades that was reviewed by board members earlier this year.

Other possible futures

Seven additional options, all presented in November to the board at a special meeting, were also reviewed in the presentation.

Among them, three public-private partnership options that proposed various commercial adaptive reuse projects for the historic building. Henry noted district concerns that these options were high-risk, lacked guaranteed funding streams, and out of alignment with the district’s K-12 educational mission.

He added that, if the private partners could not complete the projects, the district could be held liable for the completion of the building.

Another option included repairing the building into a career technical education center—an idea born out of the William Penn Task Force, which was created by the district in 2023 to generate ideas for the use of the property. It previously recommended retaining the building’s vocational roots, providing options for partial and full restoration.

Henry said William Penn’s retransformation into a such a center could cost anywhere from $13 to $93 million, a high-risk price tag for the district, which exited state receivership in June, and will operate under an existing debt burden of $19 million per year through 2036.

Keeping the vacant building ‘as is’ was another option presented.

In its current state, William Penn costs the district $566,000 per year, requires high-level security (as it often attracts trespassers) and liability insurance and offers no benefit to students. Keeping the building ‘as is’ doesn’t align with the district’s K-12 mission, Henry noted.

“We’re spending $1,000 every day on this building,” Henry said of the cost of security.

Another possibility, the flat-out demolition of the building, estimated at $5.3 million, would eliminate the high cost of building security, Henry said, but “not add any student benefit.”

Finally, while subdividing the land and selling William Penn would narrow the district’s responsibilities, Henry said, it would require court approval, could cost the district up to $200,000 to do and would result in the loss of a valuable district asset.

“Harrisburg is landlocked,” the superintendent said. “They don’t have new land coming on the market and so, for us, we have to understand that the flexibility of having this land is very important.”

Following the superintendent’s presentation, several school board members made comments.

Member Brian Carter asked if the district had exhausted every option, including grants to save the building, to which Henry responded that grant opportunities have become harder to come by over the last few years.

As someone who previously went through William Penn’s co-op program, board president Roslyn Copeland indicated that, while she has memories of the building, this decision is about the district’s children.

“Their education is important,” she said.

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Harrisburg middle school restructuring moves forward, March public hearing set

February 11, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

The Harrisburg School District’s administration building

The Harrisburg school board will hold a public hearing this spring around the planned closure of two middle schools.

Acting in line with a comprehensive facilities plan that began in 2023, the board voted to formally recommend the closure of Rowland Academy and Marshall Academy (separate from Marshall Math and Science Academy) at a board meeting Tuesday night.

Rowland Academy has been phasing out of middle school operations for the last three years. It currently serves only 8th grade students, who will graduate to high school at the end of this school year. Following their graduation, the district plans to close the middle school. Camp Curtin has absorbed students who would have attended Rowland.

The district also recommended the formal closure of Marshall Academy, a middle school program provisionally closed in the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. The non-STEM Marshall Academy operated out of the same building as the still active STEM-focused magnet Marshall Math and Science Academy.

The schools shared the same faculty and principal. However, the programs were registered under different state codes—and while the STEM program required applications, the general program operated on home area status.

According to district officials Tuesday, students who attended the general program prior to the 2024-2025 school year were absorbed into the Math and Science Academy.

Moving forward, the district’s middle schools will consist of: Camp Curtin (6-8), the blended-learning/hybrid Cougar Academy (K-12), and Marshall Math and Science Academy (6-8).

Per the Pennsylvania Public School Code, the board will hold a public hearing surrounding the closures on March 31 at 6 p.m. at the district’s administration building.

Under state law, such a hearing must take place three months before the district votes on the closures.

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Harrisburg positions re-funded following council, mayor agreement; bill proposed to limit city involvement with ICE

February 10, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Hall. File photo.

Harrisburg City Council has re-funded several previously defunded top city positions following an agreement between council and the mayor.

At a legislative meeting on Tuesday, council reallocated money to fund salaries that they had removed as part of the 2026 budget, a move that had resulted in a lawsuit from Mayor Wanda Williams.

Shortly before the meeting, council and the mayor filed a joint motion in Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas to reopen the case and adopt a joint stipulation that would refund the business administrator, project director for business administration/LERTA and create a new director of economic development position. The agreement came after a legal battle between council and the mayor that began with a lawsuit from Williams in early January, in which she alleged that council acted outside of its power.

“I would like to commend the council and the mayor on coming to a resolution,” said City Solicitor Neil Grover during the meeting.

As part of the joint motion, Williams agreed to end the practice of appointing “interim” directors without council’s approval, an issue that informed council’s decision to cut funds for some positions.

Council President Danielle Hill also said that council will bring forth legislation that would remove funding for “acting” directors after 120 days on the job without council approval.

“I’m glad we made it to this point where we’re able to have a resolution,” said council member Ausha Green. “We were able to come to an agreement with the administration. “I’m still disappointed that it took lawyers to do so.”

Council members said that they did not meet with Williams herself, but that the agreement went through both parties’ lawyers.

Council member Ralph Rodriguez said that he’s hopeful that this is the “first step forward” to a better relationship between council and the administration.

The new economic development director salary will be $78,633, the business administrator salary will stay the same at $133,900 and the project director for business administration/LERTA will stay the same at $67,784.

The money comes from the city’s general fund.

Council members said that the new economic developer position was created to address current challenges Harrisburg is facing.

“This is a new day for Harrisburg. It’s a shining moment for us,” said council Vice President Lamont Jones. “I think with working alongside the administration, being able to resolve these issues to make sure our city could move forward in the right direction.”

Council also reallocated $20,000 from the general fund into council’s legal services fund to pay for an attorney to advise them on an as-needed basis. Several council members said that the move was aimed at helping them draft legislation faster and take the burden off the city’s law bureau.

Also on Tuesday, council introduced a bill that would amend Harrisburg’s administrative code to limit the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s ability to work with ICE.

Council members expressed interest in creating such legislation after residents spoke about their concerns, during recent public comment, about ICE presence in the city and amidst growing nationwide tensions.

The proposed bill would prohibit city officials and employees from inquiring into or collecting information on people’s citizenship or immigration status, except when required by federal or state law. Employees would also be restricted from using city funds, personnel, equipment, data, technology, property or facilities to assist in the investigation, detention or arrest anyone due to an immigration violation.

The legislation would also prohibit employees from giving ICE access to non-public city facilities without a warrant. Employees would also be unable to detain anyone based on a civil immigration non-judicial detainer or administrative request and would not be able to provide advance notice to ICE of release dates, except as required by law.

Police bureau officials have stated that they do not interact with ICE unless called to an incident. They are also required to report to federal agents if they come across someone with an immigration warrant against them.

Council simply introduced the bill and has yet to discuss or vote on it. However, some residents already had thoughts on the proposal, expressing concerns during public comment.

A few residents said that they believed the legislation didn’t go far enough.

City resident Brian Keisling said that while the law would restrict employees from cooperating with ICE, it wouldn’t do enough to protect residents themselves.

“It doesn’t stop ICE from doing anything,” said Keisling. “It really just prevents employees of the city from going the extra mile to help ICE more than the city otherwise would.

Another resident called it “quite bare bones.”

Council member Jocelyn Rawls told TheBurg that she welcomes residents’ input and is “more than open” to weighing amendments to the proposal.

“It’s a starting point,” she said. “But we needed something because we had nothing.”

Also on Tuesday, council approved a grant application submission to the U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) for $3 million to fund design services for road safety projects on Division, N. 6^th, Market and S. 17^thstreets. Construction on each project is still several years away, city Engineer Joel Seiders said.

Council also ratified a grant application for $387,380 to the DOT for safety upgrades to Market and 17^th Street in Allison Hill.

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Harrisburg mayor, city council come to agreement on defunded positions, avoiding appeal

February 10, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County Courthouse

Harrisburg’s mayor and City Council have come to an agreement following a legal battle over who holds which powers.

Council and Mayor Wanda Williams on Tuesday filed a joint motion to reopen the case, in which Williams sued council for defunding several top city positions, and to adopt a joint stipulation that will refund several roles.

Williams filed a civil suit against council in early January, alleging that council was acting outside of its jurisdiction when, as part of the 2026 budget, it defunded the city business administrator role, the project director for business administration/LERTA and the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations. They also partially defunded the director of building and housing and economic development.

Last week, Dauphin County Judge Jeffrey Engle issued his order siding with council. Williams responded by saying she would appeal the decision.

However, a court filing submitted Tuesday evening showed that council and Williams requested that Engle reopen the case to approve a new agreement between the two parties.

As per the agreement, council would make reallocations in the 2026 budget to refund the business administrator and the project director for business administration/LERTA. They would also create and fund a new position, director of economic development.

The police bureau role would remain unfunded and the housing director’s salary reduced.

Additionally, the stipulation states that the mayor and council should honor each other’s role in appointing and approving city directors. The mayor will also need to appoint a successor to fill the business administrator role, subject to council’s approval.

As per the filing, Williams may no longer appoint “interim” directors, a practice that council said circumvented their authority to approve of director appointees. As part of their reasoning for defunding the business administrator, Sam Sulkosky, and partially defunding the housing director, Gloria Martin Roberts, roles, council said that both “interim” directors had remained in the roles without council approval. Currently, the city code states that council must approve department heads within 120 days of their hiring. Both parties agreed to follow that.

The filing states that Williams and council “wish to avoid a costly and time-consuming appeal, especially given the serious economic challenges facing the City of Harrisburg and its residents.”

Engle still needs to issue his decision on the joint motion.

While both parties have reached an agreement, council must reallocate funds to refund the positions. Their next legislative session is tonight at 6 p.m.

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Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find below:

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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