Centre County treasurer Colleen Kennedy announces reelection campaign

Centre County’s treasurer will seek reelection for a second term.

Colleen Kennedy, the county’s treasurer since she was first elected in 2019, announced her candidacy in a press release Friday.

“I do not take for granted the trust that county residents placed in me when I was elected in 2019, and I will work to continue earning that trust,” Kennedy wrote in the release.

The county treasurer’s office receives and disburses county money as advised by the county controller and the county commissioners, and distributes payroll checks to about 550 employees on a biweekly basis, according to the county website. Among other responsibilities, the office also acts as an agent of the state in the sale of hunting, fishing and dog licenses and sportsman’s firearm permits.

During Kennedy’s time in office, she has provided residents more ways to access services offered by the office by implementing the county’s first online dog licensing system, according to the release, and made commonly used forms available online. Payment options were also expanded.

She is currently involved with the development of an online portal that will streamline filing and payment of the county hotel tax.

Kennedy serves on the county’s retirement board and endorsed contracting with an investment manager for the county’s employee’s retirement fund. By moving the fund to a different institution, the county saved thousands of dollars in annual fees for “years to come,” according to the release.

Among her accomplishments also include facilitating the transfer of county investments into safe, higher-yield instruments when interest rates began to rise in 2022. That move increased more than 500% in interest earnings over the previous year, the release states.

“I came into office with the intention of ‘serving gladly,’ an idea that has affected every aspect of my work — whether it’s issuing doe licenses, helping nonprofits understand small games of chance rules, or being a responsible caretaker of the county’s financial resources. It’s a genuine pleasure to be able to use my skills in service to the Centre County community,” Kennedy said in the release.

The primary election is May 16 and the general election is Nov. 7.