DOGE to close State College and Williamsport offices

State College, Pa. — In the name of reducing spending, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is closing three federal offices in the northcentral region. A total of 24 offices are closing in Pennsylvania.

The closures were announced on the DOGE website under the “Real Estate” section, which lists a national total of “748 lease terminations totaling 9,587,384 square feet and (around) $468M in lease savings” as of March 5. 

The DOGE site classifies all but one of the closings in Pa. to be a “Termination via Mass Mod." A mass modification happens when changes are simultaneously made to multiple government contracts, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.

Closures in the northcentral region

The DOGE site listed what offices were to be closed, their location, the "total savings" to be had as a result of the closure, and the annual leasing cost of each office. 

State College

• Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division, $45,491 total savings, $12,131 annual lease cost.
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service, $823,748 total savings, $197,699 annual lease cost.

Williamsport

• Geological Survey, $140,398 total savings, $67,391 annual lease cost.

Local officials not sure what’s to come

When asked what will become of the staff at the Centre County locations, County Administrator John Franek stated, “We do not know. The workers in question are federal employees…We do not know whether the employees will be laid off, transferred, or now work from home offices.” 

“We did not receive a statement from DOGE. The stated office closures in Pennsylvania were listed on the DOGE website,” Franek added.

Lycoming County Commissioner Mark Mussina held similar sentiments on the matter, saying, “Because that’s federal government and we’re county government, we don’t get any advanced information. We’re just like everyone else. We’re waiting to see where the chips fall and who’s affected.”

Closures across Pa.

One of the 24 slated closures — a Philadelphian DHS United States Secret Service office — was listed as a "true termination," as opposed to being closed as a result of a mass modification like the rest.

Altoona

• Internal Revenue Service National Office, $282,389 total savings, $70,597 annual lease cost.

Boyers

• Office of Personnel Management, $156,900 total savings, $48,277 annual lease cost.
• Office of Personnel Management, $526,052 total savings, $161,862 annual lease cost.

Coraopolis

• Federal Aviation Administration, $765,152 total savings, $235,431 annual lease cost.

Downingtown

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• Geological Survey, $223,098 total savings, $102,968 annual lease cost.

East Butler

• Office of Personnel Management, $66,821 total savings, $160,369 annual lease cost.

Erie

• Internal Revenue Service National Office, $34,119 total savings, $102,356 annual lease cost.

Frackville

• Mine Safety Health Administration, $55,228 total savings, $132,547 annual lease cost.

Harrisburg

• Rural Housing Service, $119,066 total savings, $714,397 annual lease cost.

King of Prussia

• Office of Inspector General, $135,952 total savings, $58,265 annual lease cost.
• Office of Inspector General, $221,375 total savings, $69,908 annual lease cost.

Mount Pleasant

• Mine Safety Health Administration, $786,086 total savings, $235,826 annual lease cost.

New Cumberland

• Geological Survey, $454,138 total savings, $778,521 annual lease cost.

Philadelphia 

• Agricultural Marketing Service, $72,345 total savings, $96,460 annual lease cost.
• Bureau of Prisons, $121,888 total savings, $146,265 annual lease cost.
• Department of Education, $1,115,051 total savings.
• DHS United States Secret Service, $0 total savings, $39,348 annual lease cost, true termination — agency closed office.
• International Trade Administration, $87,941 total savings.
• Securities and Exchange Commission, $4,257,967 total savings, $1,188,270 annual lease cost.

Scranton

• Railroad Retirement Board, $70,133 total savings, $32,369 annual lease cost.

Waynesburg

• Mine Safety Health Administration, $478,057 total savings, $168,726 annual lease cost.