Former Gov. Tom Wolf reflects on retirement, his time in office and the future

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he has been enjoying retirement since leaving office in January, spending time with his wife, Frances, and their family.

Wolf, a lifelong York countian, and his wife recently sold their house in Mount Wolf, and they are moving to Philadelphia to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren.

The small borough in northeastern York County is named after Wolf's great-great-grandfather, George H. Wolf. The former governor lived in the small town instead of moving into the mansion in Harrisburg while in office.

Wolf said he's not looking for another political position.

"What I really enjoy is retirement," he said during an interview Thursday with the York Daily Record. "Since I was 5 years old, there's always been something to do. ... The last 11 months have been really very nice."

Wolf spoke about his time in office, what he's been doing now and how he's passing the mantle on to a new generation of civic leaders in York.

Wolf reflects on how much he enjoyed serving as governor

Wolf, who was not a politician before taking office, reflected on his time in office, saying it was enjoyable and he met a lot of interesting people.

"I had a really good team of people in Harrisburg, really enjoyed working up there, got along with almost everybody," he said. "It was a great experience."

Wolf noted three accomplishments he's proud of from his time in office.

Wolf said he left his successor with a $5 billion surplus in the budget and a $5 billion rainy day fund. It's a stark contrast from when he came into office. The state had been chronically broke financially and only had about $200,000 in its rainy day fund.

"I think I was the first governor since (Richard "Dick") Thornburg in the 1980s to pass on a budget surplus to my successor," Wolf said.

Second, his administration pumped billions of dollars into public education. He said he didn't think the state was doing its share in funding public education, and it was one of the issues that led him to run for governor.

And third, he had a gift ban to prohibit pay-for-play that seemed to be chronic in politics didn't happen while he was governor.

"I'm pleased with the way I left things and the way things are moving now," Wolf said. "I'm a proud Pennsylvanian."

Second-guessing himself on COVID response; addressing the gas tax

The COVID pandemic hit during Wolf's leadership, and he says that not a day goes by that he doesn't second guess himself as to what he could have done better.

"The only thing that really ... gives me comfort is that I didn't play politics. I did what I thought was right," he said. "I'll be second guessing myself till the day I die."

Wolf also said he would have liked to have seen the state legislature do more in the area of infrastructure.

The gasoline tax is too high, he said. It's currently 61 cents a gallon, one of the highest in the nation.

As cars become more fuel efficient, the volume tax on gasoline goes down. It means less money for fixing roads.

Some states take money out of their general funds to pay for road improvements, but in Pennsylvania, it comes out of a separate highway fund. As the money diminishes, the legislature will need to develop another plan.

"I think we have to come up with something that eliminates the gasoline tax or makes it really small and comes up with other ways to finance our absolute need for highways and bridges and railroads," Wolf said.

Wolf said he thinks there ought to be an infrastructure bank as an alternative to the gasoline tax. He put together a spreadsheet on it. He proposed that some of the money could come from federal funds. Finances also could be raised through bond issues. Repayment of loans would come from tolling and fees − not taxes.

Wolf said he was unable to convince anybody that it made sense.

"Whatever we do, we've got to come up with a way to afford to build infrastructure," he said. "The economy depends on it."

How former Gov. Wolf thinks Gov. Josh Shapiro is doing in office

Gov. Josh Shapiro has been in office for nearly a year now.

Wolf said Shapiro is a friend of his, so he is biased. But he thinks the state's top leader is doing a fine job.

The two talk. Wolf said he and Shapiro are different people, and they differ on some things. They can have good conversations. Sometimes Shapiro convinces him. Other times, Wolf convinces Shapiro. At times, they disagree.

"He's trying to do the right thing, and from everything I've seen, he's succeeding," he said.

Passing the mantle on to new leaders in York

Over the years, Wolf has been known for serving on boards in the community, such as Better York Inc. and the United Way of York County.

Wolf said he was proud to be active on boards across the county, but he believes that it is time to move on.

"I think it's time for the pass the mantle on to a new generation of civic leaders," he said.

Codorus Creek Greenway in York to be named in honor of Wolf

Earlier this year, York Mayor Michael Helfrich and city council members issued a proclamation to name a planned revitalization of the Codorus Creek after the former governor. The York County Economic Alliance, the leader of the project, also supports it.

It will be called the Governor Tom Wolf Codorus Greenway.

The project involves refurbishing 1.4 miles of the creek to improve public access, decrease flooding, add recreational amenities. It is intended to make the creek, which flows through the heart of the city, a prominent feature.

Wolf gave a $10 million grant toward the improvements a couple of years ago.

To him, the humble former governor said, it's always going to be the Codorus Greenway.

"I think it's great," he said of the project.

Civic leaders have been working on plans for the Codorus Creek since Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, Wolf said. The storm dumped 16.02 inches of rain on the area, causing the waterway to rise and flood the city.

Those efforts have included ways to make the creek less prone to flooding but also more of an attraction.

"Everything that has been done has been moving in that direction," Wolf said. "This is just a big step along the same lines."

Wolf said he will return to see project when it is completed.

"This is where I grew up, so I'll be coming back," he said.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Tom Wolf reflects on retirement, his time in office, the future