Williamsport After a protracted court struggle over who should have power over some fiscal government tasks, the elected controller of Lycoming County has quietly departed.
After 21 years in office, 55-year-old Krista B. Rogers resigned her job Friday for the last time without announcing her departure to the public. Until a replacement is found, her deputy Nicki Gottschall will serve as controller in a stand-in capacity.
She stated that she had no plans to retire after she prevailed in a battle in February to give the controller power over the accounts payable, payroll, and general ledger operations.
“It kind of struck me as a good time in the fall,” she added. We’ve assembled a strong staff. Rogers stated, “I’m not done,” but she is unsure of her future move.
She claimed that she was extremely proud of what she was leaving in place, that her arguments with the commissioners were over, and that her departure was cordial.
The three-year court case, which garnered nationwide attention, concerned whether the controller or the commissioners’ Office of Budget and Finance should be in charge of specific fiscal functions.
The court upheld Potter County Judge John B. Leete’s decision, which was specially assigned. Leete found that the commissioners had a mistaken understanding of the County Code, which allowed them to take away the controller’s budgetary responsibilities.
The long-running dispute started in 2019 when the commissioners in charge at the time agreed to transfer Rogers’ request for certain financial tasks and four staff to her.
Rogers threatened to revoke permission to use her electronic signature on vendor checks and payroll if they were not returned, but a new board of commissioners seized them back and obtained a restraining order in 2021.
She asked the commissioners to return them that same year, and Leete granted her request three times.
The Commonwealth Court heard the commissioners’ appeal and ruled in favor of Rogers.
The commissioners’ approval of a negotiated settlement in June to pay her $80,539 in legal expenses marked the official end of that fight. This was on top of the $59,468 that was paid to another attorney.
That was only one of the disagreements that occurred during Rogers’ tenure.
The $11 purchase of thirty black elastic bands for law enforcement officers to wear over their badges during times of mourning caused a dispute in 2023.
When she asserted that they were a taxable benefit when provided to his deputies because they weren’t on the Internal Revenue Service’s list of non-taxable products, she infuriated Sheriff R. Mark Lusk.
She fought against paying a county adult probation officer $60 for a pair of pants he destroyed while catching an absconder in 2017. She maintained that probation officials are not given work pants by the county.
Rogers appealed to Commonwealth Court an order directing her to pay the $60, but the officer was eventually reimbursed.
Rogers spent $2,174 on legal fees for a $60 pair of pants, and a Commonwealth Court panel decided in his favor.
She explained the history of the arguments by saying, “I always tried to follow the rules.”