Tag Archives: Harrisburg City Council

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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Dauphin County moves to extend existing Harrisburg tax abatement program

February 4, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

The Dauphin County Administration building.

Dauphin County voted to extend a Harrisburg tax abatement program on Wednesday.

At their weekly meeting, the Dauphin County commissioners unanimously approved the extension of the city’s existing Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement (LERTA), which incentivizes development and property improvements within the city of Harrisburg.

The move follows Harrisburg City Council’s December vote to extend the program for another year.

First implemented in 2015, LERTA offers a 100%, 10-year tax abatement to developers for residential renovations and construction. Under LERTA, commercial and mixed-use projects are also eligible for 50% to 100% abatement.

When city council passed the extension in December, Jason Graves, the city’s then-director of business development and LERTA administrator, said Harrisburg had drafted new LERTA legislation that was awaiting the Harrisburg School District’s review and, in the meantime, recommended extending the current LERTA program for another year.

The district has yet to pass an extension for the program.

Graves’ position as director of business development and LERTA administrator has since been defunded, alongside several others, by city council, a move that prompted a lawsuit from Mayor Wanda Williams. While a judge ruled Tuesday that council had the authority to defund the positions, Williams said she plans to appeal the decision.

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Harrisburg mayor to appeal ruling that defunded key city posts

February 3, 2026 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg city hall (file photo)

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams plans to appeal a ruling that allows City Council to defund several top city positions.

In a brief statement tonight, Williams stated that she would appeal Tuesday’s decision by Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Engle, who ruled against her in a lawsuit she brought against council.

“Voters did not vote for government by litigation,” she said. “I have to defend the city and its operations, and I will appeal!”

Williams’ lawsuit claimed that council overreached its power when defunding several top city positions as part of the 2026 budget. However, on Tuesday morning, Engle dismissed Williams’ claims, allowing council’s budget decision to stand.

As part of the 2026 budget, council defunded the business administrator role, saying that the interim director had remained in the position without council’s approval, past the allowed time for a temporary employee. They reduced the salary for the interim director of building and housing development for the same reason. They also zeroed out the salary for the project director for business administration/LERTA and for the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations. Williams vetoed those budget changes, but council overrode the veto.

On Jan. 8, Williams filed a complaint asking for an emergency injunction and declaratory ruling, in an attempt to reallocate salaries to four city officials, three of whom had been fired because their salaries were zeroed out.

In his memorandum opinion, Engle agreed with council that it was within its rights to make budgetary changes to salaries. He spent over three pages discussing the business administrator position, and refuting Williams’ argument that it is a statutory, legally required position.

“I want the residents of Harrisburg to know that your mayor did not lose today,” Williams said, in her statement. “The damages are to the citizens of the city. I agree with the court that there will be “severe consequences for city government” because of council’s actions.”

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Veto to Toe: Relations between Harrisburg’s mayor and City Council have soured to the point of litigation. How did we reach this place?

January 29, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Illustration by Rich Hauck

During her final meeting as City Council president in 2021, Wanda Williams cut herself off, mid-goodbye speech, to keep her tears at bay.

She had been elected Harrisburg mayor the prior November and was about to bang her council gavel for the final time, but first she had some words to share.

“I love each and every one of you,” Williams said to her colleagues. “You are experienced, you’re leaders, you’re workers, you’re compassionate about what you do, and I’m so, so proud of each and every one of you. This is the best council that I think that we’ve ever had in the last 16 years.”

A smiling Danielle Hill, who served alongside Williams, presented her with a gift and plaque on behalf of council.

Four years later and Hill, now council president, said that she has virtually zero communication with Williams, who was recently sworn in for a second term as mayor. She doesn’t even attempt to call or text her anymore because her calls go to voicemail and texts go undelivered, she said. She believes that Williams has blocked her, which the mayor denies.

“I think she mentioned that we should text or email her,” Hill said. “When she served as the council president, I know she didn’t check her email so I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to communicate.”

Williams said she hasn’t blocked Hill and that, in city hall, council members have passed her without saying a word.

A Cycle Repeats

Back in 2021, after a rocky end to the relationship between former Mayor Eric Papenfuse and council, the stage was set for a smoother one under the new Williams administration. After all, Williams had spent years on council, and now her former council colleagues would serve as governing partners.

Despite a decent start—Hill said that she met with Williams weekly at first, though Williams disputes that—the relationship quickly backslid.

According to city Solicitor Neil Grover, history has repeated itself.

“I tell this story again and again. In 1860, we became a city and, in 1861, the very first mayor sued the very first council for who had power to do what,” Grover said. “That has repeated itself 20 and 30 and 40 years apart several times.”

Tensions between the two bodies reached that same point during this year’s budget cycle. Williams has now sued council, after a back-and-forth of budget vetoes and overrides, as council eliminated salaries for several top city officials.

Council defunded the business administrator role, one of the city’s highest posts, saying that the interim director had remained in the position without council’s approval, past the allowed time for a temporary employee. They reduced the salary for the interim director of building and housing development for the same reason.

They also zeroed out the salary for the project director for business administration/LERTA, expressing dissatisfaction with the director’s work, and for the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations, saying they felt the position was not needed.

For the roles that are unfunded, directors were terminated, and no one can be hired because there’s no money to pay them.

The lawsuit hinges on a disagreement over where the line is drawn between the two bodies’ powers. The mayor said that council crossed into “territory that does not belong to them,” by trying to assume an executive function such as personnel management. Williams called it an “overreach.” However, Hill maintained that council was within its rights by removing funds and didn’t fire anyone. “That is not under our purview,” she said.

“It’s fundamental questions of government,” Grover said. “What is the legislative authority? Where’s the line? What is executive authority? Where’s the line?”

But what is really behind the issue? Why can’t council and the mayor work it out, outside of court?

“Is that what you’d boil the issue down to—the lack of communication?” TheBurg asked Hill.

“I think so, I guess,” she said. “It just saddens me because, when does the cycle end?”

Dependent on Each Other

Going back to the basics, Harrisburg is a third-class city with a mayor-council form of government. Unlike other municipalities that may have a city manager or commissioners, Harrisburg’s mayor is given significant power. Harrisburg has a strong-mayor form of government, as opposed to the weak-mayor model, where the mayor is ceremonial.

Harrisburg first adopted the strong-mayor setup in 1970. Democrat Harold Swenson became the first strong mayor, after the question of changing the governmental structure appeared on the 1969 ballot and was approved by voters, according to newspaper clippings from the time.

While the mayor handles daily operations—hiring, firing, spending, etc.—council is supposed to serve as the fiscal watchdog and legislative body. For example, council approves an annual budget with spending allocations, but the mayor and her staff prepare that budget, spend that money and execute projects. Both the mayor and council can introduce legislation.

Harrisburg may have a system in which the mayor has broad executive authority, but without council on board, her power can face barriers.

According to Grover, the mayor-council system relies on the two branches working together.

“The government cannot run if the branches of government don’t work together. You see that here, you see that everywhere,” Grover said. “That’s how it’s designed. It makes them each dependent on each other.”

Ultimately, the cost of bad blood between council and the mayor lands on the taxpayer’s bill. The two bodies can keep score of wrongdoings, argue over who is at fault or cling to grudges, but in the tug of war, residents are the ones who suffer.

Whether that plays out in stalled city services, costly legal fees or lack of progress, something gets caught in the middle.

“I always tell both branches of government, you need to guard your powers jealously,” Grover said. “People gave them to you. You’ve got to guard them, but then you also have to figure out where the line is.”

The issue now is that both the council president and the mayor blame the other for the problem, and each seems to be waiting for the other to budge.

“It’s not productive, and the people who lose out in this are the residents,” Hill said. “It’s a little time intensive going back and forth, and it doesn’t have to be. If communication improves, perhaps that’s one avenue. But I would like to reiterate that I don’t have a communication issue.”

On the opposite side, Williams said that it’s council that has the issue.

“It’s unfortunate that we cannot collaborate more together. My doors are open […] knock on my door,” Williams told reporters in January.

With the tense council-mayor dynamic recurring through the years, is there another option for Harrisburg?

Outside of officials joining hands, the city could re-evaluate its structure by enacting a “home rule charter,” a complex process that would examine various governmental structures and possibly recommend a new one for residents. It’s something that Grover said has been brought up over the years but hasn’t made it to a vote.

In Harrisburg’s current governmental structure, officials are hopeful that relationship repairs can be made. Both Williams and Hill said as much.

How that will happen, especially with the feud landing in court, and most elected officials at the start or middle of their terms, remains to be seen.

“I’m actually a believer in institutions,” Grover said. “I believe there will be a point where they come together—it’s just how do you do it? I completely believe that will happen. I believe when you force the question, solutions arise.”

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February News Digest

January 29, 2026 | by TheBurg Staff

Mayor Files Lawsuit Against City Council

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams has sued City Council.

The suit, which alleges that council acted outside of its scope of authority by defunding several top city positions, was filed in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas last month.

The lawsuit comes after a tense back and forth between council and the mayor over the city’s 2026 general fund budget. In December, council passed the budget, after making amendments to remove salaries for Harrisburg’s business administrator, project director for business administration/LERTA and the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations. Council also zeroed out the city’s portion of funding for the interim director of building and housing development.

Williams then vetoed the changes, but council overrode her veto. Directors of each role, besides the building and housing director who still receives a federal salary, have been terminated. Williams said that she believes the move was a personal attack by council against her.

Williams, in her lawsuit filed by attorney Renardo Hicks, said that council’s action “invades powers assigned to the Mayor/Executive.” Hiring, firing and personnel matters are the mayor’s authority, which council is not legally allowed to execute.

“They need to stop trying to do my job as the administration,” Williams told TheBurg.

However, council President Danielle Hill has maintained that council did not fire the staff, just defunded their positions.

“It was not to move anyone out of those positions,” Hill said. “We defunded the roles. That does not mean the people had to be fired. The mayor fired them. They could’ve easily been, maybe moved to a temporary position. There are other positions that are vacant.”

Williams Starts Second Mayoral Term

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams has begun her second term in office, pledging “discipline, direction and renewed commitment to infrastructure.”

At a ceremony last month, Williams issued a call for unity among city officials, following Magisterial District Judge Marian Urrutia swearing her into office for another four-year term.

“My administration has a vision for the next four years,” Williams said on stage at Whitaker Center. “Harrisburg is ready for a new era of responsible growth, a new era of stability and a new era of long-term planning—an era where our children inherit a city that is stronger than the one we inherited.”

Williams won the mayoral election in November, beating her opponent Dan Miller, a Democrat who received the Republican nomination during the primary election, by 5,096 to 3,837 votes.

Williams’ speech, which included her priorities for the new term, spoke to mutual respect between City Council and her administration. The sentiments came at a time of conflict and litigation between the mayor and council over its 2026 budget amendments, which slashed salaries for several top city positions.

“We will stand firm against the disrespect, misinformation and unnecessary conflict,” Williams said. “Our residents deserve a government that behaves with maturity and professionalism. They deserve decisions that are rooted in facts and certainly not theatrics.”

Council Members Sworn In

Harrisburg City Council held a swearing-in and elected its president and vice president last month.

After four council members were sworn in, council voted for Danielle Hill to serve as council president for another two years and for Lamont Jones to serve as vice president.

Before a reorganization meeting, Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson swore in re-elected council members Ausha Green, Jocelyn Rawls and Ralph Rodriquez, and newly elected Rob Lawson, who was appointed by council previously and served for one year. Lawson replaces Shamaine Daniels, who did not run for re-election.

Hill will return as council president, having been unanimously elected after serving in the role previously. Jones unseated Green as vice president with a vote of 4-3, with Green, Rodriguez and Crystal Davis voting for Green.

“This is something that I want to do to yet again show the city of Harrisburg that I am someone that’s committed to serving us and standing firm in my stance, in my position, in what I believe in, and what I believe the people of this city deserve,” Jones said.

New Officers for Harrisburg Police

Harrisburg will soon have three new officers on patrol.

Mayor Wanda Williams last month swore in three police officers to the Harrisburg Police Bureau and promoted another during a ceremony at city hall.

“You are stepping forward at a time when the responsibilities of law enforcement are more complex than ever,” Williams said. “Our residents expect professionalism, compassion, accountability and a willingness to build trust with every neighborhood in this city. I believe you are ready for that challenge, and I am proud of each of you for choosing a path that places community at the center of your work.”

New officers include Cedric Bowling, a Harrisburg native and former city park ranger, William Fellenbaum, a Lancaster County native, and Melvin Torres, a McCaskey High School graduate who is bilingual.

The officers will enter field training with the police bureau after completing HACC’s police academy.

Additionally, officer Kyle Gautsch was promoted from lieutenant to captain. Gautsch has worked in the bureau for over 20 years and oversees the Criminal Investigations Division.

Al-Huda School Buys Former JCC

The former Jewish Community Center building has a new owner.

In late December, the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg sold the 69,000-square-foot property at 3301 N. Front St. to the Al-Huda School for $1.1 million.

Safi Khan, director of the Al-Huda School, issued a statement celebrating the close of the sale. According to Khan, the Islamic school, which currently operates a campus in Camp Hill, will use the building as a new home.

“A place where the Quran will be recited, where the character will be built, where the hearts will be nurtured before the grades are measured,” Khan said, calling the purchase “the beginning of a legacy.”

The Al-Huda School, also known as Al-Huda PA, was founded in 2009. It is a branch of the Al-Huda School in College Park, Md. Its teachings are based around the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Al-Huda PA currently enrolls pre-K through fifth grade students and offers online school for students in grades six to 12 through Al-Huda Global.

Zachary Benjamin, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, said that the sale symbolized the “end of a successful, joyful era” for the federation. The organization fully transitioned its operations to the Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life, at 2986 N. 2nd St., in 2024.

“We hope that the Al-Huda School enjoys many happy years in the space that served us so well,” Benjamin said.

The Jewish Community Campus building was originally built in 1956 and later updated in the 1990s. It served as the Jewish Federation’s home for almost 70 years.

Home Sales, Prices Stable

The Harrisburg-area housing market was largely unchanged in December, according to the most recent report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, 572 homes sold compared to 560 in December 2024, as the median sales price dipped to $270,000 from $280,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 270 houses sold versus 257 in the year-ago period, while the median sales price slipped to $240,000 from $254,900, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had 269 home sales, an increase of six from last December, as the median price rose to $329,900 from $310,000, said GHAR.

In Perry County, sales fell to 34 homes from 43 the prior December, as median sales price dropped to $237,500 from $255,000, according to GHAR.

The pace of home sales slowed, as “average days on the market” increased to 35 days in December versus 29 days in December 2024, GHAR said.

So Noted

Capital Area Greenbelt Association last month received a $750,000 state grant to support the relocation of the Greenbelt in south Harrisburg. The trail has been detoured and must be re-routed following construction of several housing projects in the area.

Doug Hill last month was re-elected president of the Capital Area Greenbelt Association, beginning his third year as the leader of the nonprofit group. Rounding out the officers for 2026 are Diane Kripas, vice president, Wes Veigle, treasurer, and Debbie Reihart, secretary.

Harrisburg area last month was named the second-best market in the country for first-time homebuyers, just behind Rochester, N.Y., according to Realtor.com. The report identified areas based on affordability, abundant for-sale inventory, local amenities and positive metro-level housing forecasts and economic outlooks.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC last month named Alisa Harris as chair of the chamber’s board of directors and Beth Peiffer as chair of the CREDC’s board. Harris is vice president of government affairs at the Pennsylvania Alliance of YMCAs, and Peiffer is owner and president of Ralph E. Jones Inc.

John Wilsbach last month was named 2025 “Broadcaster of the Year” by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. Wilsbach has been a long-time traffic reporter in central Pa., as well as a play-by-play and color commentator for Lebanon Valley College sports.

SusqueCycle experienced a significant increase in ridership in 2025, according to the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. The commission reported 3,321 rides for the rental bicycle network compared to 2,993 in 2024.

Changing Hands

Allison St., 1515: Y. Slimane to M. Shelley, $160,000

Balm St., 142: Q. Demiri to C&C Homes LLC, $75,000

Bellevue Rd., 1913: C. Bennett to Hope Only Corp Inc., $119,000

Berryhill St., 1827: J. Shaulis to M. Perez, $123,650

Berryhill St., 2250: L. Harrell to Beta One LLC, $98,671

Briggs St., 1920: Elevation Properties LLC to PACC HBG 2 LLC, $120,000

Conoy St., 100: S. & N. Dienner to N. Bova, $237,500

Crescent St., 300: J. Buckner to I. Zunun, $70,000

Cumberland St., 222: S. Rubinstein & H. Choi to S. Maiti & J. West, $208,000

Curtin St., 514: Buy the Block Back LLC to Breneman Properties LLC, $76,500

Curtin St., 532: Buy the Block Back LLC to A. DeLeon, $97,500

Derry St., 1509: T. Le to F. Parent, $120,000

Derry St., 2001: H. Alarcon to Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC, $142,500

Derry St., 2027: E. Echevarria to B. Frias, $145,000

Emerald St., 633: BCR 1 Properties LLC to Medina Realty Holdings LLC, $160,000

Forster St., 1837: House Cash LLC to S. Lewis, $134,500

Green St., 1630: Big Leaf Properties LLC to Calder Street Development LLC, $275,000

Green St., 2010: L. Sandelli to S. Pinter, $206,000

Hale Ave., 391: S. & M. Pillco to K. Kanuha, $168,000

Hanover St., 1205: D. Rodriguez to KN Investments LLC, $65,000

Harris St., 222: G. Grossman to I. King, $235,000

Herr St., 1104: V. & Z. Baklayan to R. Suarez, $675,000

Herr St., 1825: Allied Trust to ETAF Holdings LLC, $60,000

Holly St., 1903: Brittany Turner Agent Trust to G&W Rentals LLC, $85,000

Lenox St., 2025: V. Lyons to A. Ramirez, $66,000

Lewis St., 210: J. Hess to D. Banks, $179,000

Lexington St., 2562: Woco Holdings LLC to D. Levy, $165,000

Liberty St., 1414: Variety of Investments LLC to LYR Investments LLC, $95,000

Liberty St., 1612: JCIL LLC to D. Mick, $75,000

Linden St., 125: S. Tolopilo to PACC Homes & Development LLC, $200,000

Logan St., 2307: JB Express Construction Inc. to S. Davis, $110,000

Market St., 1845: Harrisburg Homes Investments LLC to J. Patel, $190,000

Muench St., 438: R. & D. Requa to A. Veres, $105,000

North St., 1151, 1100 State St.: Pennsylvania Commonwealth to Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority, $340,000

North St., 1908: 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC to J. Arroy, $155,000

N. 2nd St., 201: Murphy Second Street LLC to RMN Group LLC, $850,000

N. 2nd St., 1625: L. & E. Hamilton, J. Niblett & J. Wilson to C. Ramirez, $299,500

N. 2nd St., 2140: G. & K. Raser to S. & J. Toole, $240,000

N. 2nd St., 2309½: S. Martin to S. Ozark, $217,000

N. 2nd St., 2600: M. Thomas to M. Sargero, $185,000

N. 3rd St., 234: 234 N. 3rd St LLC to Blue Valley Leasing, $53,784

N. 3rd St., 1429: Third Street Development LP to Finanta Federal Credit Union, $560,000

N. 3rd St., 1828: PDI Properties LLC to Greys Properties & More LLC, $230,000

N. 3rd St., 1830: PDI Properties LLC to Greys Properties & More LLC, $230,000

N. 4th St., 23: J. Kowalczyk to A. & D. Good, $500,000

N. 4th St., 2135, 2137: Equitable Rentals LLC to Leesuer Estates LLC, $337,500

N. 4th St., 2239: A. Britton to Echo Propco I LLC, $85,000

N. 4th St., 3213: C. Shoemaker & K. Anderson to J. Tejedor, $210,000

N. 4th St., 3228: J. Tyson to S. Wright & M. Cox, $194,900

N. 5th St., 2032: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to C. Pardo, $159,000

N. 6th St., 2951: Secretary of Housing Urban Development to C. Rhedrick, $75,000

N. 6th St., 3107: S. & K. Wright to J. & R. Guzman, $180,000

N. 7th St., 2640: V. Butts to H. Thompson, $95,000

N. 15th St., 1317: TRW Properties LLC to J. Zamora, $96,000

N. 16th St., 1006: H. Lacey to Dreamland Properties Associates LLC, $81,000

N. 17th St., 88, 1150 Mulberry St., 2332 N. 6th St., 2519 N. 6th St., 612 Oxford St., 613 Oxford St., 614 Oxford St., 616 Oxford St., 617 Oxford St., 619 Oxford St.: JMR Ventures LLC to BZDEL Global Investments LLC, $1,200,000

N. 18th St., 700: CG Home Buyer LLC to Rosaruth Properties LLC, $85,000

N. 18th St., 715: J. Weedon & D. Quartlebaum to T. Rudzenski, $125,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 208: S. & L. Weitzman to S. Marquet, $220,000

N. Front St., 3301: Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg to Al Huda Inc., $1,184,500

N. Summit St., 110: Black Market Hub LLC to Dreams 2 Reality Services LLC, $60,000

N. Summit St., 123: 1406 Market Realty LLC to 123 Summit LLC, $138,000

Norwood St., 949: F. Intrieri to T. Freeman, $178,000

Orange St., 2306: Sunny Day Real Estate Solutions LLC to F. McFadden, $114,374

Park St., 1827: Lorfax 1 LLC to B&H Investment LLC, $137,000

Parkside Lane, 2924: D. Rockoff to Top Cash Paid LLC, $150,000

Peffer St., 261: A., K., L. & M. Thomas to E. Green, $100,000

Peffer St., 323: Rebuilt Offers LLC to A&W Homes LLC, $80,000

Penn St., 2120: Gilligan Realty LLC to Breneman Properties LLC, $101,500

Penn St., 2153: Dvilla LLC to D. Stufflet, $170,000

Pennwood Rd., 3200: S. & C. Weinstein to RNM Group LLC, $58,000

Race St., 566: Almond Properties LLC to RE Innovative Digital Solutions LLC, $330,000

Reel St., 2446: E. Johnson to A. Morocho, $150,000

Reel St., 2717: G. & C. Wright to Top Cash Paid LLC, $85,000

Reel St., 2722: A. Britton to Echo Propco I LLC, $90,000

Regina St., 1841: D. Walker to 77 Estate LLC, $90,000

Regina St., 1921: C. Caraballo to BYD Properties LLC, $75,000

Reily St., 219: S. Briffa to M. Azizi, $180,000

Reily St., 220: SJL Rentals LLC to M. Tortora, $265,000

Reservoir St., 76: JJ House LLC to M. Williams, $160,000

Rudy Rd., 1811: J. Adlong to Breneman Properties LLC, $55,000

Rudy Rd., 1950: B. Freeland to D. Hernandez, $160,000

Rudy Rd., 2443: B. Hefflefinger to Dreamland Properties Associates, $72,000

S. 3rd St., 17: Blackberry LLC to SOMA Associates LLC, $220,000

S. 13th St., 1502: A. Khan to W. Cherelus, $140,000

S. 13th St., 1523: J. Spagnolo to Perosso Construction LLC, $97,500

S. 14th St., 118: H. Casado to 118 S 14th St LLC, $65,000

S. 15th St., 22: Trimble Investment Group LLC to K&M Homes Investments LLC, $70,000

S. 17th St., 332: S. Alden to Grid Investments LLC, $54,000

S. 17th St., 601: A. & D. Bailey to Moul 2 LLC, $432,000

S. 17th St., 1116: AKS Real Estate Group LLC to N. Nolasco, $189,900

S. 20th St., 13: Scholars Inc. to Grid Investments LLC, $50,000

S. 20th St., 21: T. Terry to Grid Investments LLC, $52,000

S. 25th St., 352: D. Biechler to S. Lalic, $115,000

S. 29th St., 630: J. Guzman to T. Anderson, $152,000

S. River St., 313: A. & R. Bomberger to D. & F. Johnson, $155,000

State St., 231, Unit 303: T. & D. Jensen to D. & K. Patel, $169,000

State St., 231, Unit 701: Murphy Huether Property Investments LLC to F. Clark, $157,500

State St., 1624: B. Smith to C. Howard, $200,000

State St., 1924: H&K Rental Properties LLC to D Martin Rentals LLC, $671,000

Taylor Blvd., 48: M. & A. Hinton to Dreams2Realty Services LLC, $65,000

Valley Rd., 203: J. & B. Hillegass to A. Murton & K. Feige, $277,000

Walnut St., 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860: Zook Rentals LLC to L. Fisher, $599,000

Washington St., 109: DLK Properties LLC to J. Daniely & D. Williams, $439,000

Zarker St., 2043: T. Payne to Grid Investments LLC, $54,000

Harrisburg property sales, December 2025, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 16, 2026 | by TheBurg Staff

Shelly Lipscomb-Echeverria, MLK Day chairperson with MLK365, issued a call for volunteers with the group Monday.

A lot happened in Harrisburg this week, from reviews of financials and facility upgrades at city meetings to a local volunteer organization’s call for hundreds of volunteers this MLK Day. Check out our coverage of it all below:

Broad Street Market Alliance’s recently passed 2026 budget showed a yearly deficit. At a meeting this week, members discussed ways to stabilize the nonprofit’s finances. Click here for more.

Dauphin County approved contracts this week that give a sneak peek at its upcoming summer and fall festivals, our online story reported.

East Shore YMCA launched a new strategic plan, according to our January magazine story.

Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors reported that the median sales price dipped in December for homes in the three-county region, according to our online story.

Harrisburg City Council’s public comment period brought forward several community members concerned that ICE was in the area, who implored council to take action to protect residents. Read more here.

Harrisburg School Board members reviewed a plan to tackle school infrastructure upgrades. Our online story noted officials would like to create a new soccer field for the varsity girls’ soccer team on a portion of the 27-acre campus linked to William Penn.

Local parks officials say layering is a great way to keep kids safe from the cold while they play outside, as seen in our January magazine article.

MLK365 called for volunteers for various service projects happening around Harrisburg. Read our story here.

Sara Bozich has consolidated the best events happening around town this weekend, including closing day of the PA Farm Show and a fitness open house at the Jewish Community Center. For a full list, click here.

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Burg Blog: A few Harrisburg-themed resolutions for the New Year

December 30, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council

It’s nearly the New Year, and, for many of us, that means making resolutions that, we hope, will survive past January. In this spirit, I’ve put together a few resolutions for Harrisburg, things I’d like to see us, as a city, achieve over the course of 2026.

Mayor/Council peace. Ideally, I’d like our elected officials to band together and work collaboratively for the good of our shared city. However, based upon recent events, I now realize this may be too much to ask. So, my more modest request is for some type of peaceful coexistence between the two warring bodies—think a 1970s-era U.S./Soviet détente, in which the antagonists cooperate on their most pressing issues. As to who’s to blame for the current Cold War between mayor and council . . . don’t know, don’t care. We elect our public officials to work for us, and for the betterment of our troubled city, not to focus their time and energy battling one another.

William Penn decision. How long can a single can get kicked down a single road? The Harrisburg School District is testing the distance limits with its decade-long indecision over what to do with the former William Penn school and campus. Over the years, the district has weighed everything from re-use to sale to re-development to demolition, only to back down and/or reverse course every time. The result is a boarded-up building that gets more dilapidated with each passing year. For 2026, be it resolved that the school district will make a final decision on the fate of William Penn—and stick to it.

Broad Street wishes. In recent years, the Broad Street Market has come to embody the deflating sense that, in Harrisburg, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Therefore, for 2026, my hope is that the curse will lift, at long last. No more fires, no more delays, no more collapsed walls, no more infighting, no more design distractions—and, importantly, a competent, caring and stable board of directors. Is it possible that, 365 days hence, the market reconstruction will be progressing, the budget will be balanced, and we can look forward to a 2027 building completion? Or am I just Charlie Brown, once again, charging like a blockhead towards the football?

Blueprint beginnings. Harrisburg is a city in transition. The downtown, especially, is undergoing a painful transformation from government town to—well, something else, something not yet defined. Therefore, it’s vital that, in 2026, an economic development plan for the downtown is finalized and that implementation is started. Fortunately, there’s reason for hope, thanks to entities like the Harrisburg Regional Chamber/CREDC, area legislators and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which have taken first steps. I’m reasonably confident that, a year from now, we’ll see positive momentum on this resolution.

Hope for housing. In recent years, numerous affordable housing projects have been started or completed in Harrisburg. Fortunately, I expect that to continue in 2026, as developers take advantage of subsidies and other assistance that make affordable projects possible. In contrast, lacking these incentives, market-rate projects have lagged—many proposed, few built. So, for 2026, I hope to see some of those projects finally get off the ground. Harrisburg needs all types of housing—and it needs people who will patronize our small businesses, who will pay taxes, who will add life to our sidewalks and streets. It also needs public officials who realize that adding residents is the solution to many of our city’s woes.

Ounce of kindness. Finally, I hope that we, as a people, can resolve to treat each other with respect and kindness in 2026. Yes, this city of ours can be frustrating, sometimes making compassion challenging, whether in person or online. But, personally, I’m going to do my best to fulfill this resolution.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

December 19, 2025 | by TheBurg Staff

Santa gifts a toy to Julien, a patient in the pediatric unit at UPMC Harrisburg.

Need to catch up on what happened in Harrisburg this week? We’ve got you covered. Find the latest on end-of-the-year budget meetings and other stories below.

Broad Street Market renovations for the brick building were underway when one of the historic structure’s walls collapsed Monday, our online story reported.

Dauphin County Commissioners passed the county’s 2026 budget, which includes a property tax hike for the second year in a row. Read the full story here.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said Harrisburg officials needed to “get their act together” after a wall on the Broad Street Market’s brick building collapsed during its reconstruction, our online story reported. A 2023 fire left the brick building heavily damaged; the city began rebuilding the structure in the latter half of 2025.

Harrisburg City Council passed its budget Monday night but refused to give a raise to Mayor Wanda Williams and other city officials. Full story here.

Harrisburg Fire Bureau was awarded $7 million in 2025-26 state budget funds, a $2 million uptick from last year. The jump was celebrated by Gov. Josh Shapiro and others at a press conference, our online story reported.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority wants to send $50,000 to CREDC, which would go toward an economic development plan for downtown Harrisburg, our online story reported.

Midtown Cinema is showing “The Secret Agent,” a film set in a politically polarized Brazil in 1977; it captivated our movie reviewer.

Morning Glory, a Hummelstown general store, is a great place to stock up on basics. Learn more about the owner’s commitment to running the business in our magazine feature.

Sara Bozich has a list of everything going on this weekend—from Harrisburg’s biggest lesbian party to a reindeer bar crawl. Read more here.

Strand Theatre has been a cultural crown jewel in York for a century. Find out more about the historic venue in our magazine story.

Sweet T & Greens, an upscale comfort food restaurant, will open where Home 231 once was. According to our online story, it’s slated to open in January next year.

UPMC Harrisburg received a visit from Santa Claus, who gifted toys to children in the pediatric unit and emergency department. Read the story here.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

December 12, 2025 | by TheBurg Staff

Flights of red, white and blue milkshakes will be sold by the PA Dairymen’s Association at the Farm Show this year in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

Major headlines this week included Harrisburg City Council’s discussion of a raise for Mayor Wanda Williams and the PA Dairymen’s rollout of this year’s Farm Show milkshake flavors. Find those stories and more below:

Blacklisted Poets meets at HMAC every week to bring poetry to life with readings and has been doing so for 30-odd years, our online story reports.

Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors said that Harrisburg-area home sales and prices both rose in November, according to our online story.

Harrisburg City Council members debated giving Mayor Wanda Williams and other city officials a raise at a Tuesday night meeting. Read what happened in our online story.

Historic Harrisburg Association’s annual Candlelight House Tour will feature the Governor’s Residence, despite an arson attack that prompted extensive renovations, our online story reported.

Historic holiday events can be a fun way to celebrate the season around the city, our magazine story reports.

Police said a Greyhound passenger was killed by the bus he was riding in after jumping out of an emergency exit window during a psychological episode, our online story reported.

Pennsylvania Regional Ballet is making performances of the “Nutcracker” accessible for kids, our magazine story reports.

Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association announced it will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a red, white and blue milkshake flight that will be available during the 2026 PA Farm Show, our online story reported.

Sara Bozich has a list of all the best events happening over the next few days in her Weekend Roundup.

Spectrum Spark Society, a nonprofit supporting those with autism spectrum disorder and their families, was profiled in our magazine story.

Susquehanna Chorale conductor Linda Tedford reflects on her last season leading the group’s Candlelight Christmas concert in our magazine story.

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Williams re-elected Harrisburg mayor, will serve another four-year term; strong night for Democrats in Dauphin County

November 4, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams (center) celebrates her re-election victory.

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams won a second term on Tuesday, besting the city’s treasurer for a second time this year.

With all precincts reporting, incumbent Williams received a tally of 5,096 votes versus 3,837 for Dan Miller, currently Harrisburg’s treasurer.

“Thank you for giving me another four years,” said Williams, at her victory party in Uptown Harrisburg. “I promise as I did before: a new Harrisburg. Now, who’s with me?”

Mayoral candidate Dan Miller tallied up votes as results came in.

Like Williams, Miller is a registered Democrat. However, he was running on the Republican ticket after narrowly losing the Democratic primary to Williams in May, but garnering enough write-in votes to secure the Republican nomination.

After conceding defeat, Miller said that he gave it his best but couldn’t overcome running on the Republican side in such a Democratic city.

“It’s so disappointing,” said Miller, at his election eve gathering of supporters at the Millworks. “You don’t know how many people told me you have to win. They know that Harrisburg is in a bad place.”

Lewis Butts Jr., who also lost in the Democratic primary in May, was running for mayor as a write-in candidate. Butts’ tally wasn’t available on Tuesday night, but it’s assumed he received all or most of the 93 write-in votes.

Other than the mayoral race, Harrisburg’s other general election races lacked competition in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

For City Council, Jocelyn Rawls, Ralph Rodriguez, Ausha Green and Rob Lawson all won running unopposed for four, four-year seats. For school board, Roslyn Copeland, Danielle Robinson, Brian Carter and Jaime Johnsen all won running unopposed for four, four-year seats, while Annie Hughes captured the lone two-year seat, also unopposed.

Democrat Karen Balaban, running unopposed, won a four-year term as city controller. She’ll replace long-time controller Charlie DeBrunner, who did not stand for re-election.

Dauphin County also had elections for several row offices and judgeships this year, with Democrats performing well.

For prothonotary, Democratic challenger Antonio Carreno of Harrisburg unseated the Republican incumbent, Matt Krupp, also of Harrisburg. For clerk of courts, Democrat Tina Nixon of Harrisburg bested the Republican nominee, John McDonald. For county coroner, long-time Republican incumbent Graham Hetrick squeaked past the Democratic nominee, John Harris Jr.

In close races for Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas judge, Democrats Katy Kennedy-McShane and La Tasha Williams defeated Republicans Fran Chardo and Jim Zugay.

All results in this story are preliminary until made official. TheBurg will update this story if necessary.

Maddie Gittens and Alexandra Jones contributed to this story.

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