What Is the Harrisburg ICA?

An act of the General Assembly (Act of October 24, 2018, P.L. 751, No. 124) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania created the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority for Harrisburg (the Harrisburg ICA). The Harrisburg ICA (the Authority), serves to assist the City of Harrisburg with achieving, and maintaining, financial stability.

Who Is the Harrisburg ICA?

Members of the Authority typically possess financial and management experience gained through private industry. The Authority advises the City of Harrisburg, the Governor, and the General Assembly on the financial state of the City of Harrisburg. This includes proposed solutions to fiscal problems faced by the City of Harrisburg.

A governing board composed of five appointed members exercises the powers and duties of the Authority. Each member is a resident of the City of Harrisburg and/or has a primary place of business or employment in the city. Additionally, two non-voting, ex-officio members of the board represent the city and the Secretary of the Budget. Finally, the Authority’s governing board employs an Independent General Counsel and Authority Manager.

Current Voting Members

Chairperson: Audry K. Carter: Ms. Carter runs AQuire LLC. This consulting firm works with organizations to maximize fundraising potential and enhance operations. Governor Tom Wolf appointed Ms. Carter.

Vice-Chairperson: H. Ralph Vartan: Mr. Vartan serves as CEO of Vartan Group, Inc. This multi-disciplinary real estate company has a considerable footprint in the Central PA region. Rep. Mike Turzai, Speaker of the House of Representatives, appointed Mr. Vartan.

Secretary/Treasurer: Tina L. Nixon: Ms. Nixon is the Vice President of Mission Effectiveness and Chief Diversity Officer for UPMC/Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg. She previously had fifteen (15) years with the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, serving as CEO. Sen Jay Costa, Minority Leader, appointed Ms. Nixon.

Authority Member: Kathy Speaker MacNett: Ms. MacNett works as an Attorney and Managing Partner for the Skarlatos & Zonarich law firm, with offices in Harrisburg. Re. Frank Dermody, Minority Leader, appointed Ms. MacNett.

Authority Member: Douglas E. Hill: Mr. Hill is the Executive Director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from Penn State University, and formerly served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Local Government Conference. Sen. Joe Scarnati, President Pro Tempore, appointed Mr. Hill.

Current Non-Voting Members

Authority Member Ex-Officio: Bruce Weber: Director of Finance, City of Harrisburg.

Authority Member Ex-Officio: John Raymond: Deputy Secretary of the Budget, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Employed Support Staff

Authority Manager: Jeffrey Stonehill: Appointed in April 2019, Mr. Stonehill also continues as Borough Manager and Director of Utilities for the Borough of Chambersburg. He brings to the Authority twenty years of experience managing municipalities in New York and Pennsylvania. Finally, Mr. Stonehill is an ICMA Credentialed City Manager.

Legal Counsel: Jeff Engle: Mr. Engle’s services as general counsel were retained in April 2019.

All information for this article was taken from the public domain, at the About Us page of the Harrisburg ICA web site.