Along Frink Street, at the site of one of Scranton’s numerous stormwater management projects on Mon. Aug. 17, Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti shared the City’s capital project priorities set forth in the 2027 Capital Budget. In accordance with the Home Rule Charter, the proposed capital spending plan, which is distinct from the operating budget, was delivered to Scranton City Council before August 15, and it’s expected to be introduced by the legislative body in September.
“Scranton’s Capital Budget was once just a wish list of the things officials hoped to achieve, but now it’s an action plan,” Mayor Cognetti said. “In this plan, you can see how we will continue our progress on stormwater, parks, investing in our vehicle fleets, replacing bridges, and making Scranton’s streets safer.”
The City’s annual capital budget provides a five-year outlook on how officials intend to support Scranton’s future. Project costs in 2027 are anticipated at $41,040,035.04. Capital budgets enable the City to invest in state-of-the-art equipment for the Scranton Police Department (SPD), new Scranton Fire Department (SFD) engines, Department of Public Works machinery, park improvements, stormwater mitigation projects, bridge replacement plans, and more.
The single largest project proposed in the 2027 capital budget is the continued design and construction of stormwater management projects in Keyser Valley, totaling $5,650,000. This September will mark the third anniversary of the devastating 2023 flood that caused significant damage in both Keyser Valley and North Scranton. The Cognetti administration has invested nearly $23 million of its $68.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to protect those impacted neighborhoods as well as areas of Tripp Park, Minooka, and East Mountain through critical stormwater conveyance and infrastructure improvements.
Notably, the 2027 capital budget also includes a plan to “support the operational readiness of the Scranton Fire Department and advance the City’s objective of providing a fully integrated EMS system.” Planning for potential Scranton EMS services dates back to the original ARPA budget passed in May 2022 that called for an ambulance service study. The City intends to purchase three used ambulances in 2027 for a total cost of $190,000, allowing “the City to stand up a Basic Life Support/Advanced Life Support (BLS/ALS) transport service.” Purchases of new frontline ambulances are tentatively planned for 2029 and 2030, with a four-year replacement cycle included for each vehicle.
In total, Mayor Cognetti’s proposed 2027 capital budget includes an investment of $3,835,924.70 in public safety. Those investments include vehicle leases for SPD that have improved the overall operational readiness of the department through a more reliable vehicle fleet. Scranton Police will have leased 50 police vehicles through the end of 2026 thanks to continued capital investments. In addition to ground vehicles, the capital budget seeks the purchase of unmanned aerial systems to help provide officers with initial assessment of crime scenes and to “reduce SPD officers’ exposure to dangerous situations.”
Investments into SFD, including planned EMS expansion, will help cover the cyclical replacement of critical firefighting equipment, vehicle leases, two new fire engines due for delivery later this year, enhanced station alerting equipment, and more.
In addition to improved driver and pedestrian safety projects like the Cedar Avenue, West Scranton, and downtown streetscaping projects, Mayor Cognetti’s proposed capital budget will again prioritize bridge replacements through 2027. A total of six bridge replacement projects are included in the capital budget, including two to be completed in close partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Bridge replacements on North Main Avenue, West Lackawanna Avenue, Myrtle Street, Ash Street, Hollow Avenue, and Mary Street have a combined nearly $38 million in funding planned, with assistance from PennDOT. Bridges completed in the last two years in partnership with PennDOT include the $6.4 million Parker Street Bridge in North Scranton and the recently reopened $9.6 million Elm Street Bridge connecting parts of West and South Scranton.
The capital budget also includes building maintenance and construction costs, including upgrades to generators and boilers at city fire stations, a proposed new DPW storage building, and more.
The City has regularly achieved its capital spending goals by stacking federal, state, and local funding sources alongside its own Capital Reserve Fund. This year marks the final year the City will be able to utilize its ARPA funding, as the U.S. Treasury originally set a spending deadline of Dec. 31, 2026, for those funds. ARPA has been instrumental in jumpstarting work in stormwater, city parks, making Scranton’s streets safer, and other projects. It’s important to Mayor Cognetti and her administration that the capital budget shows how that work can continue into the future.
The capital budget also outlines major projects completed in late 2025 through August 2026, including:
- Upgraded stormwater conveyances in Tripp Park for approximately $692,000;
- Weston Field skate park, a $956,000 addition to Scranton’s robust park attractions;
- The $1.18 million Nay Aug Park multi-court complex;
- A $700,000 streetscape improvement project along Cedar Avenue, the first streetscape project completed of several similar improvements to driver and pedestrian safety throughout the city; and
- The first phase of the Nay Aug Park pool complex, including a $4.6 million zero-entry pool.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020 and took her third Oath of Office in January 2026. Her administration is focused on public safety, fiscal discipline, driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Last modified: August 19, 2026
