HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity said the state cannot legally use taxpayer funds to pay for security-related upgrades already completed at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private Montgomery County residence, setting up a public dispute over how — or whether — the bills can be paid.
What This Means for You
- Pennsylvania Treasury says no state money can be spent without legislative approval.
- Security upgrades to the governor’s private home have already been completed.
- The governor and General Assembly could still pursue a legal funding solution through the state budget process.
Garrity said Pennsylvania law requires all state spending to be specifically authorized and approved by the legislature through an appropriation — meaning a formal allocation of public funds approved in the state budget.
“This is not a political decision, it’s a legal one, and it’s not a matter of simply choosing to pay these bills or not,” Garrity said. “Treasury’s role is clear: we can only make payments that are properly authorized by law and appropriated by the legislature.”
According to Garrity, the Treasury Department reviewed the matter after questions arose over payment for security improvements made to Shapiro’s personal residence rather than the Governor’s Official Residence in Harrisburg.
Upgrades Already Completed
Garrity said the construction and security work has already been finished, but she argued that does not change the legal requirements governing state spending.
“The improvements to the private residence have already been made, and now there is a question of how those bills will be paid,” Garrity said. “But the timing of the work does not change the legal requirements. Payment still must be backed by a lawful appropriation.”
She also said Treasury repeatedly asked the Pennsylvania State Police to provide legal justification for using public funds to pay for improvements on private property.
“We had asked the State Police several times for the legal justification to pay the bills, but they have not identified any valid authority to permit spending public dollars on private property,” Garrity said.
Dispute Centers on Legal Authority
Garrity framed the issue as one involving long-standing state financial controls designed to limit unauthorized government spending.
“These guardrails exist for a reason,” she said. “They protect taxpayers by ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness. No administration — Republican or Democrat — can bypass the law, regardless of circumstances.”
The Treasurer acknowledged concerns about threats against public officials and said safety considerations are important, but maintained that current law does not authorize construction spending at a non-public residence.
“Everyone agrees that safety and security are critical,” Garrity said. “But good intentions do not override the law.”
Budget Process Still Available
Garrity said the governor had options to seek legal authorization for the spending through the state budget process.
“The Governor could have avoided this issue by including the upgrades to his personal home in last year’s budget, just as he did for improvements to the Governor’s Official Residence in Harrisburg,” Garrity said. “He also could have pursued authorization in his budget proposal currently being considered in the General Assembly.”
She added that lawmakers could still work with the administration on what she described as “a legal way to pay the bills quickly.”
No Vote or Legislative Action Yet
No legislation or formal appropriation tied to the security upgrades was identified in Garrity’s statement, and no vote by the General Assembly was announced.
Garrity said Treasury would continue following existing state law unless lawmakers authorize the spending.
“My responsibility and sworn duty to all Pennsylvanians is to follow the law as written — not as some may wish it to be,” she said.
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