Election 2026 · Public beta

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Issue record

Taxes and costs

In short

Paige Cognetti's campaign would cap credit card fees, break up monopolies and use targeted tariffs, not broad ones. Rob Bresnahan's campaign would stop what he calls reckless spending, curb inflation and cut taxes. Under Mayor Cognetti, the state ended Scranton's distressed status and S&P raised its credit rating to A-; the state says recovery began before her term. Bresnahan voted for the 2025 law making 2017 tax rates permanent and adding a tip deduction.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Paige Cognetti

Would cap credit card fees, break up monopolies that crowd out small businesses, and replace broad tariffs with targeted ones to protect manufacturing.

Rob Bresnahan Jr

Would stop what he calls reckless spending, get inflation under control and cut taxes.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

    S&P rated Scranton BB, below investment grade, from 2016, then raised it step by step to investment grade in 2023 and to A- on January 12, 2026.

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    Her campaign says Scranton went from junk bond status to an A- credit rating. S&P rated the city BB, below investment grade, from 2016. It raised the rating to BB+ in March 2022, to investment grade BBB- in June 2023, to BBB+ in March 2024 and to A- on January 12, 2026. Limit: A rating is S&P's view, not a city record. S&P credits balanced budgets that did not lean on federal stimulus money, and also a county property reassessment that was not the city's doing.

  2. official action

    Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

    S&P and city figures show general-fund surpluses in most years since 2019, with a planned deficit in 2024 for a flood-control project.

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    Her campaign says she cut costs as mayor, leading to budget surpluses. S&P reports general-fund surpluses of 1 to 6 per cent in 2019-2021 and 3.8 per cent in 2022, and a city estimate of a $3.8 million surplus in 2023. Its January 2026 report says results have been mostly positive since 2020. The city ran a planned deficit in 2024 for a flood-control project, and estimates a $3 million surplus for 2025. Limit: These are S&P's adjusted figures and the city's own estimates. On her claim of a budget balanced 'for the first time in decades', S&P records an adjusted surplus in 2019, the year before she took office, but the city's own 2019 audit shows general-fund spending $382,623 above revenue; years before 2019 were not established.

  3. official action

    Rob Bresnahan Jr: Matches stated direction

    He voted for H.R. 1 twice; the law makes the 2017 lower income-tax rates permanent and adds a deduction for tips, among other tax changes.

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    His campaign says taxes should be cut so families keep more of what they earn. He voted for H.R. 1 twice. The law makes the 2017 lower income-tax rates permanent (section 70101) and adds a deduction for tips (section 70201), among other tax changes. Limit: Who pays less, and by how much, depends on income and is an estimate rather than a record. The same law's spending and Medicaid changes are on other cards.

  4. official action

    Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

    The state ended Scranton's 30-year Act 47 distressed status on January 25, 2022; Cognetti became mayor in January 2020, and the state says the turnaround began before she took office.

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    Her campaign says she led Scranton out of 30 years of distressed financial status in 2022. The state ended Scranton's Act 47 distressed status on January 25, 2022, almost exactly 30 years after the city entered it in 1992. Cognetti had been mayor since January 2020. Limit: The exit was the state's decision, and the state's own account says the city's finances had started to turn around in the mid-to-late 2010s, before she took office.

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Sources12 source records

How we use sources

  1. Prioritieshttps://paigeforpa.com/priorities/

    Paige For PA · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Platform: reform, family costs, unions, manufacturing, tariffs, data centers.

    candidate statement

    For: Paige Cognetti: campaign position

  2. Rob for PAhttps://robforpa.com/

    Rob for PA · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign home page, paid for by Rob for PA, the committee's FEC-filed website. Issue statements on border, economy, Social Security and Medicare, public safety, jobs. Links X and Instagram @Rob4PA and Facebook RobforPA.

    candidate statement

    For: Rob Bresnahan Jr: campaign position; Rob Bresnahan Jr: Matches stated direction

  3. Anti-Corruption Agendahttps://paigeforpa.com/anti-corruption-agenda/

    Paige For PA · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Stock trading ban, corporate PAC money, No Budget No Pay, term limits, audits, lobbying and board bans.

    candidate statement

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  4. City of Scranton Credit Rating Jumps Two Grades, Now BBB+https://scrantonpa.gov/city-of-scranton-credit-rating-jumps-two-grades-now-bbb/

    City of Scranton · Published Mar 11, 2024 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    City release of March 2024. Says S&P withdrew the city's BB- rating in 2011, gave a junk-level BB rating in 2016, and raised it to BB+ in March 2022. Quotes S&P's March 2024 report: management estimates 2023 closed with a $3.8 million general-fund surplus.

    official office record

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  5. S&P Global Ratings summary: Scranton, Pennsylvania; General Obligation (June 7, 2023) (document)

    S&P Global Ratings, posted by the City of Scranton · Published Jun 7, 2023 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Raises the city's rating to BBB- from BB+, investment grade, citing balanced operations without reliance on federal stimulus; the city used no ARPA money for operations. Records adjusted general-fund surpluses of 1 to 6 per cent in audited fiscal 2019-2021 and a preliminary 3.8 per cent surplus in 2022.

    official office record

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  6. S&P Global Ratings research update: Scranton GO rating raised to 'A-' (January 12, 2026) (document)

    S&P Global Ratings, posted by the City of Scranton · Published Jan 12, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Raises the rating to A- from BBB+, outlook stable. Credits the county reassessment among other things. Says results have been mostly positive since fiscal 2020; fiscal 2024 was the first deficit of five years, planned one-time spending on a FEMA flood-control project; the city estimates a $3 million surplus for 2025.

    official office record

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  7. Meet Paige Cognettihttps://paigeforpa.com/meet-paige-cognetti/

    Paige For PA · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign biography and record claims as mayor.

    candidate statement

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  8. City of Scranton, Pennsylvania: Financial Statements, Year Ended December 31, 2019 (document)

    City of Scranton · Published Nov 20, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 2, 2026

    The city's audited statements for 2019 (scanned; posted November 2025). The governmental-funds statement on printed page 8 shows General Fund revenue of $86,829,756 and spending of $87,212,379, a shortfall of $382,623 before transfers.

    official office record

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim

  9. Roll Call 145, H.R. 1, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025145

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published May 22, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Recorded vote of May 22, 2025, passed 215-214 with one Present. Bresnahan: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Rob Bresnahan Jr: Matches stated direction

  10. Roll Call 190, H.R. 1, on concurring in the Senate amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published Jul 3, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Recorded vote of July 3, 2025, passed 218-214. Bresnahan: Aye.

    official legislative record

    For: Rob Bresnahan Jr: Matches stated direction

  11. Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, 2025 reconciliation act)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ21/html/PLAW-119publ21.htm

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Published Jul 4, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Enacted July 4, 2025. Sec. 70101 makes the lower income-tax rates permanent; sec. 70201 creates the no-tax-on-tips deduction; secs. 71101-71102 pause the 2023 and 2024 Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare Savings Program enrollment rules until September 30, 2034; sec. 71107 sets six-month eligibility checks for expansion adults; sec. 71110 limits the expansion match rate for emergency care for certain non-citizens; sec. 71112 cuts back-dated coverage to one month before application for expansion adults and two months for all other enrollees, from three; sec. 71115 lowers the provider-tax threshold; sec. 71119 requires Medicaid work requirements with exemptions; sec. 90001 appropriates $46,550,000,000 for border barriers and the wall system. The 90 per cent expansion match rate in SSA 1905(y) is not amended.

    official legislative record

    For: Rob Bresnahan Jr: Matches stated direction

  12. Scranton's Story of Resiliencyhttps://dced.pa.gov/paproudblog/scrantons-story-of-resiliency/

    Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    State agency account: Scranton exited Act 47 on January 25, 2022, almost 30 years after entering it in 1992; Cognetti took office in January 2020 as the city's first woman mayor.

    official office record

    For: Paige Cognetti: Matches stated record claim