Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration are continuing their commitment to strengthening PA’s communities, the Mercer County borough is the 26th PA municipality to recover from distressed status

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced the approval of Greenville’s exit from distressed status under the Municipalities Financial Recovery Program, known as Act 47. Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration know the importance of strengthening our communities to make the Commonwealth a better place to live, work, and prosper.

Secretary Siger signed a formal determination letter finding that termination of the borough’s distressed status was appropriate under Section 255.1 of Act 47. The decision was made due to Greenville’s ability to effectively utilize the tools offered through the program to significantly improve its financial position and management infrastructure since entering Act 47.

“I want to extend my congratulations to everyone — the local officials, community leaders, businesses, and residents of Greenville Borough for helping to make this day a reality,” said Secretary Siger. “Greenville has the tools to be financially successful and truly make the borough a better place to live, work, and visit, and the Shapiro Administration looks forward to seeing the Borough prosper in the years to come.”

DCED Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs and Development Rick Vilello was on hand in Greenville today to present borough Mayor Paul Hamill with the signed determination letter.

“I’m thrilled to be here today to join Mayor Hamill and the rest of the Greenville community on this exciting occasion,” said Deputy Secretary Vilello. “Thanks to the hard work and resiliency of the local officials and residents of Greenville, we can officially turn the page to a bright new chapter in the borough’s story.”

“It’s been a long 21 years that Greenville has been in Act 47, and the community, the administration, and staff councils have all sacrificed and worked diligently to get us to this point,” said Greenville Mayor Paul Hamill. “Our future is and will be brighter and more prosperous moving forward.”

Greenville was designated as distressed on May 8, 2002, under Act 47. The determination was made because the town had run multi-year deficits and defaulted on its debt payments. Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt was appointed the Act 47 Coordinator for the borough in 2006.

“Greenville has taken steps to establish a sound financial foundation that should serve it well for the foreseeable future,” said Kuffner Hurt. “The Borough Council and Borough Manager have worked in a thoughtful and consistent manner to broaden the revenue base in order to maintain municipal services and support capital improvements. Working with Greenville over the past 17 years and watching it exit Act 47 today has been a rewarding experience.”

Greenville has made significant strides to improve its management practices and fiscal situation. The borough has eliminated its structural operating deficit, and has exhibited sound financial practices related to cash, budgetary, service level and long-term solvency. Greenville’s debt service has consistently ranged from 11% to 12% of total annual general operating expenditures, and timely debt service payments are expected to continue without Act 47 participation. Additionally, the borough has no outstanding claims or judgments that would place it in jeopardy of financial default. Surpluses are projected for the next five years, which affirms that Greenville has the capacity to meet its ongoing obligations after exiting distress.

“Since entering Act 47 in 2002, much dedication and hard work have been devoted to correcting the issues plaguing the community,” said Greenville Manager Jasson Urey. “We are excited to celebrate our exit from the distressed municipality designation that the residents, businesses, and employees brought about through their sacrifices. Now, we take the next step in returning Greenville to a flourishing community.”

Greenville is the 26th municipality to recover from distressed status under Act 47. For a full list of the municipalities that have recovered from distressed status under the program, please click on the Act 47 Financial Distress page of the DCED website.

For more information about Act 47 or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov

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