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Councilman Matt Herndon

@mattherndon.org
252 followers 424 following 415 posts

Dad, bike rider, State College Borough Council Member for safe streets, affordability, sustainability and inclusion. groups.google.com/g/herndon-highlig… Views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the full council.

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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 11/09/2026
Not saying they do, but it is important to understand what political body governs the thing you've got an issue with. That way you're actually pushing on the correct lever of political power that can deliver the result you want.
power.to
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 11/09/2026
Keystone Indivisible has probably organized the most protests. They don't always get news coverage, but they are out consistently, trying to spread the word that these attacks on our liberties, rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, are not acceptable.
radio.wpsu.org
Keystone Indivisible holds anti-ICE 'Be Brave; Resist Tyranny' protest on highway overpass
Activist group Keystone Indivisible held a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a highway overpass by Toftrees Sunday afternoon in State College.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 11/09/2026
We have had many ICE protests, both from student and non-student community members. This culminated in The Borough passing a non-cooperation ordinance and a resolution in July. The airport is called State College but it is outside the Borough's boundaries (it is in Benner Township).
statecollege.com
State College Borough Council Approves Ordinance Restricting Cooperation With ICE
State College Borough Council on Monday approved an ordinance that formally prohibits municipal employees from participating in or providing borough
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 20/05/2026
Sent another Herndon Highlights out this morning. It summarizes our May 11 council meeting where we discussed the Downtown Improvement District, financial information and passed a quick resolution on Community Solar. Please join the group to read all the details and stay in the loop.
groups.google.com
Herndon Highlights - Google Groups
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 19/05/2026
Today it's primary day in Pennsylvania and I encourage everyone to get out and vote. In my area the D ballot was essentially uncontested, but voting in an election like this gives your voice more weight in future elections because campaigns talk to recent voters first. Happy voting!
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 09/05/2026
This is part of why I'm so excited that the Easterly/Westerly Mixed Use Path got funded for construction this year. We need to do more to really hit our goal of zero serious injuries or deaths from traffic in State College, but this path is a good step in the right direction. #bikesafety #walksafety
wjactv.com
'A net win:' State College to expand shared-use trail network for walkers & riders
In an effort to encourage the community to engage in safe, active, and eco-friendly transportation, the State College Borough plans to make more places easy to
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 09/05/2026
Incidents like this, where PA State laws don't protect pedestrians in crosswalks, are far too common. That's why I push so hard for safer bike/walk infrastructure like raised crossings. Local roads are something Council can actually fix and we can't wait on the State legislature for safety.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 09/05/2026
PA's state legislature is one of the highest paid in the nation but still only pays $113k/year. That's well above minimum wage, but far less than I could make working for a private company, and it's a scandal to add to it. If I ever run for a higher office it certainly won't be for the money.
spotlightpa.org
Taxpayers foot huge bill to run Pa.’s full-time legislature, but are blocked from many details
A web of expense accounts, few reporting requirements, and questionable claims of “legislative privilege” help keep lawmaker spending obscured — and the public in the dark.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 09/05/2026
It's always funny to me when people claim that members of Council are in it for the money. We're literally unpaid. Some got campaign donations but we almost all spent some of our own money to campaign. I ran anyway, because I saw the huge need to improve local laws, but it isn't a great system.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 04/05/2026
The Borough can even deliver this compost and also mulch to your home here for a small fee. Use this form if you're interested in that service and keep working with me to build a more sustainable, affordable, bikeable, and inclusive State College.
content.civicplus.com
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 04/05/2026
Any Borough resident can pick up free bulk compost like this at the Borough Service Facility (330 South Osmond Street). The first time you do this bring along 2 forms of ID that prove your residency to get your own code to access our compost area (arrive between 7 AM and 3:30 PM Monday-Friday).
statecollegepa.us
Organics / Compost Collection
The Borough has a food scrap and yard trimming recycling program throughout the Borough for residential accounts.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 04/05/2026
In most of the US food waste gets sent to landfills where it gets buried under other trash. This makes it create harmful methane gas as it decomposes. Our local composting facility prevents this and instead creates this wonderful compost that helps new plants grow, it's truly amazing.
youtube.com
Why is Composting Good for the Environment?
YouTube video by SciToons
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 04/05/2026
With so many bad things happening in the world today it's important to find peace and joy where we can. My joy today came from taking my first bike ride to pick up free municipal compost, made from the organic waste my neighbors and I throw away. What other city/town is this even possible in?
A black fat tire ebike stands in front of a large pile of deep brown compost. Connected to the back of it is a cargo trailer filled with compost and a shovel. A silver tarp obscures most of the cargo trailer and holds the compost inside of it.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 26/04/2026
Sent another edition of Herndon Highlights out this morning. It summarizes our last council meeting where we discussed housing at Addison Court/Bellaire Court/Grad Circle, heard public comments on ICE, and got some good news on our budget. Please join the group if you'd like to read all the details.
groups.google.com
Herndon Highlights - Google Groups
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 14/04/2026
Sent out another edition of Herndon Highlights. This summarizes our last council meeting where we discussed SCI Rockview, Thompson Woods, ICE, Chiles v. Salazar's local impact and more. Please join the group if you'd like to get all the details. groups.google.com/g/herndon-hi...
groups.google.com
Herndon Highlights - Google Groups
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 19/03/2026
It sounds like @thefarmerjones.bsky.social is talking about the Lovisa Arnesson-Cronhamre tragedy in State College. That happened on a 35 MPH road (Park Ave) with a turning lane that is far longer needed. The issue is that this road is a PennDOT road, so the Borough can't modify it directly.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 08/03/2026
Just sent out the latest edition of Herndon Highlights. This summarizes our last council meeting where we discussed zoning, the solar PPA, East End Social and more. Please join the group if you'd like to get all the details. groups.google.com/g/herndon-hi...
groups.google.com
Herndon Highlights - Google Groups
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 03/03/2026
Congrats. It'd be wonderful to have an easy way to find all the local gov accounts here (and even better if it was broken down by state). I know there are a few manually created lists, but I don't think there's anything official. Is there and I've just missed it?
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 14/02/2026
Great to see Ray Bilger kick off his race for Congress with support from so many local pols. We need men of integrity like Ray in Congress to defend our Constitutional rights and create a more affordable country for us all. I've donated to his campaign using: secure.actblue.com/donate/raybi...
Colleen Kennedy, Paul Takac, Ray Bilger, Scott Conklin, and Jason Moser standing in front of an American flag.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
I can't say for sure. But I can say that these attacks are unconstitutional, and immoral. They must end. I know it seems like so many support this violence, but we must take strength in the fact that there are even more who don't, and that our number is growing daily. Join us and demand its end.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
We're over a month past the legal deadline to release the Epstein files. Instead, we've had attacks on both foreign countries and cities right here in the US. Were these attacks at home and abroad always planned to distract from that missed deadline or is that a coincidence? What are they hiding?
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
We have seen over and over that whenever truth becomes detached from reality, and instead becomes whatever "dear leader" says, that safety becomes an illusion and prosperity declines. As the Trump government lies again about a person they just killed we must wonder what else they're lying about.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
It isn't just people opposed to Trump who are in danger. It's those who support his goals as well. Google the deaths of Röhm, and Thälmann, of Maganov, and Starovoyt. Search what happened to "regular" Germans like Niemöller who initially fell for Nazi lies and supported them. It does not go well.
archive.org
Army Talk Orientation Fact Sheet #64 - Fascism! : Army Orientation Branch: Information and Education Division : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
March 24, 1945. Army Talk Orientation Fact Sheet #64 Fascism! A sheet printed and distributed by the United States War Department as an educational tool for...
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
Many regular people are waking up to this fact, especially in areas like Minneapolis, where the lack of safety is being literally shoved in their faces by ICE every day. I don't think it has sunk in for many Republicans yet, especially followers of MAGA. They aren't safe from this either.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 25/01/2026
I went to a vigil for MN at a church Friday night. Was asked why I came, what my self interest was. I've been thinking about that a lot. My answer is that history has shown where this leads. No one is safe. Yesterday we saw you can work to heal our veterans, to honor them but it won't keep you safe.
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Reposted by Councilman Matt Herndon
Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 24/01/2026
The real “domestic terrorists” are in the White House. The victim, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was reportedly a law abiding US citizen & an ICU nurse at the VA. He was licensed to carry a firearm. Trump & Miller are responsible for his killing & are now lying to the American people.
53750242
Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 22/01/2026
I know as a local elected I have almost no power over this. I ran to make it safer to walk/bike our streets and more affordable/sustainable to live here. I'll still focus on getting that done, but I can't look at this stuff and pretend it isn't happening. What ICE is doing in MN is unconstitutional.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 22/01/2026
We're lucky that this isn't happening in State College yet, but if it isn't stopped it will come here eventually. Our U.S. Constitution explicitly bars cruel and unusual punishment, and this sure looks cruel and unusual to me. This vile, unacceptable, and unlawful behavior must end!
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 21/01/2026
My office hour today has been moved to 4 pm. I plan on testing this change through May at least to see if this works better for people. I've also created an email group to send out summaries of council meetings. You can sign up with this link if you're interested. groups.google.com/g/herndon-hi...
groups.google.com
Herndon Highlights - Google Groups
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/01/2026
I know it's last minute and I know the weather isn't going to be great, but I'm going to be there. I hope some of you can make it too. We can't just accept this. We must act for our Constitution, our freedom, and our very lives. Here's a link to sign up: mobilize.us/s/qv1G3d
mobilize.us
ICE Out For Good - Vigil in State College, PA · Indivisible
Wednesday, January 7th, an American citizen was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity...
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/01/2026
I don't have a secret answer to fixing this, but I think the root of any solution will come from a mass movement of the American people. Indivisible is working on this and threw together a vigil tomorrow in State College from noon to 1 at the Allen St gates.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/01/2026
That's true of many people recently. Melissa and John Hortman, Charlie Kirk, Sarah Beckstrom, the list goes on. Each of those killings saddened me, but this one is on another level because our own government did it directly.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/01/2026
I'm sure you've all heard about ICE shooting and killing Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. It's a complicated situation, that's compounded by an active disinformation campaign, but what seems uncomplicated to me is that this woman should not be dead today.
mobilize.us
ICE Out For Good - Vigil in State College, PA · Indivisible
Wednesday, January 7th, an American citizen was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity...
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
I've heard from many of you that you don't want either of these outcomes. I hope you'll join me in 2026 in pushing to finish our new zoning so we have a chance at avoiding a large tax raise/service cut. Together we can make State College a more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive place to live!
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
We can't be sure if updating our zoning will actually cause another $100M+ worth of building here, or if new building will even keep up with inflation, but we do know that without new building we're either going to have to seriously cut services or seriously increase taxes.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
If no high rises had been built our budget deficits would have been much larger. We would have needed a 15% higher millage to have the same deficit in 2024 (fast forward to 12:30 in our 10/8 meting to see this explained). To have had 0 deficit with 0 high rises we'd have to raise millage nearly 50%!
videoplayer.telvue.com
10/8/25 State College Borough Council Work Session
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
For example, from 2013 to 2025 the total assessed value of property in State College rose from ~500M to ~600M. That $100M of new assessed value seems like a lot, but really its only a 20% increase. At the same time inflation has raised the CPI over 40% in the last 12 years. 40% is well above 20%.
Bureau of labor statistics CPI calculator showing $500 in 2013 has the same buying power as $705.23 in 2025.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
In the meeting council member Kassab expressed uncertainty as to why we had to raise taxes again now after so much has already been built here. Many in the community have this same question. The simple answer is that inflation has outpaced new building here.
Total Inflation per decade in the USA over time since 1913. From www.inflationdata.com.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
We cannot expect such huge real estate transactions every year though. Instead next year we'll be back where we were last week looking for something like $4 million to balance our budget. Updating our zoning to allow more housing would encourage more 1 time transfer tax and more annual property tax.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
Localities can put fees on event tickets, but Beaver Stadium and BJC are both in College Township, so they get that revenue, not us. Real Estate transfer tax is what bailed us out this year. The Standard and The Metropolitan were bought for over $100M and we got a windfall of $2.8M in transfer tax.
studenthousingbusiness.com
Yugo Awarded Management of Eight-Property Student Housing Portfolio Acquired by GSA, Morgan Stanley
Denver — Denver-based Yugo has been awarded management of a portfolio of eight student housing communities recently acquired by a joint venture - Colorado, News, Operations
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
It's important to understand that State Law severely restricts the ways we can college revenue. We can't get sales tax, hotel tax, alcohol tax, etc. without a change. Instead we fund our services mostly through real estate tax, local services tax (aka LST), earned income tax (EIT), and transfer tax.
Bar chart showing 2024 Borough Tax Revenue by source. The total is just over 20M with Real Estate Tax over 10M, Earned income is next then real estate transfer tax and LST.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
We have many homes that cost more, but even a $500k home with the exemption will only see an annual tax increase of $120/year, just $10/month. The challenge is that we have a few homes here assessed under $25k that pay $0 while small businesses pay full price. State law limits our options though.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
$25k of exclusion might not sound like much, but we have to remember homes here were last assessed in the 1990s. A home here that costs $300k today has an assessed value near $50k. The homestead exclusion cuts its tax in half! Some asked for policy to discourage vacation homes here, this is it.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
A 2 mill increase means that if you live in the home you own here your taxes will go up roughly $52/year for a $300k home, $86/year for $400k, and $120/year for $500k. This accounts for filing the homestead tax exemption, which excludes the first $25,000 of a home's assessed value from taxation.
dced.pa.gov
Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion - PA DCED
The Taxpayer Relief Act provides for property tax reduction allocations to be distributed to school districts through a “homestead or farmstead exclusion."
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/12/2025
We discussed the #StateCollegePA budget again 12/8: Highlights: * We've lowered the proposed tax raise from 8 mills to 2 * This budget's expenditures are $3.2M below last year's * We've deffered $1.2M in street maintenance * We're using $2.8M transfer tax windfall to pay for recurring costs ...🧵
videoplayer.telvue.com
12/8/25 State College Borough Council Work Session
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 01/12/2025
Another reason we're lucky to have Alpha. We have many celebrations in our streets and I can't recall objections like this from them. Heck, they're at many of our street festivals, letting kids climb in their trucks and teaching how to put out real fires.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 14/11/2025
It's a wonderful place. I hope you enjoy the town while you're here.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 14/11/2025
Bike is definitely my preferred mode though. I continue to work to make our bike infrastructure even safer for everyone in this town.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 14/11/2025
I've taken the bus to a few public meetings here in State College.
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Councilman Matt Herndon @mattherndon.org · 10/11/2025
Inclusive zoning stops pushing new housing miles away onto farms and wild lands and instead allows new neighbors to join us and share the costs local services. I hope you’ll join me in working to #zoning reform to build a more affordable, sustainable, bikeable, walkable, and inclusive State College.
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