This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Approximately 600 workers in Allegheny County are set to get a raise. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced this week that roughly 600 nonunionized employees will see their base pay rise to $22 an hour by 2027, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Innamorato said the wage increase was included in the budget signed by her predecessor, Rich Fitzgerald.

There’s been a lot of history made in Pennsylvania politics as of late, and that remained true this week when Democrat Justin Douglas was sworn in as a Dauphin County commissioner, flipping the board to Democratic control for the first time since in more than 100 years, per WGAL. The shift marks a major victory for Dauphin County Democrats, and was made possible after Douglas defeated GOP Commissioner Chad Saylor by 184 votes last November.

Starting next week, the turnpike will be cashing in even more from commonwealth drivers. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved a 5% toll increase over the summer which takes effect Jan. 7. Going forward, most E-ZPass holders will see their rate jump to $1.80 to $1.90, while toll-by-plate drivers will see an increase from $4.40 to $4.70. 

Leslie Marant, the first diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the Philadelphia Police Department, was fired this week prior to the swearing in of Mayor Cherelle Parker and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Marant was reportedly fired as a result of a restructuring at the department, though the department’s DEI office is expected to remain active, with a new interim director to be announced in the future.

The holiday season may be winding down, but packages are still a big deal. Porch pirates, those stealing deliveries off people’s doorsteps, will face harsher penalties in the commonwealth thanks to a new law that took effect in the New Year. Under the new law, compounding effects will apply to package thefts, meaning repeat offenders can face a felony charge for snatching that Amazon box.

One Centre County borough is experiencing much more turnover than expected to start the new year. Following the swearing-in of newly elected and reelected Milesburg Borough Council members Tuesday, longtime borough manager Paula Hall and a handful of borough employees turned in their resignations. According to the Centre Daily Times, Hall and the employees issued a letter after the meeting stating that accusations and poor treatment on social media led to their resignations.