City of New Castle

What City of New Castle does

The City of New Castle is a Third Class municipal government in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1869 and serving approximately 23,273 residents across 7.7 square miles. It provides a full suite of municipal services through dedicated departments including Police (the largest agency in Lawrence County), Fire (two stations, 24/7 paramedic-staffed), Public Works, Code Enforcement, Parks and Recreation (including the 72.26-acre Cascade Park and the 18-hole Sylvan Heights Golf Course), and a Sanitation Authority. The city contains the third largest historic district in Pennsylvania, holds an Opportunity Zone designation, and operates a self-sustaining 350-acre municipal airport with 65+ aircraft. The city has been designated a financially distressed municipality under Pennsylvania Act 47 since 2007, adopted a Home Rule Charter via voter referendum on May 18, 2021 to restructure governance and pursue Act 47 exit, and is currently led by Mayor Mark Elisco (sworn January 2024) with City Administrator Chris Frye (former Mayor 2019-2022).

The city's technology footprint centers on the newcastlepa.org municipal portal, which delivers online tax payments, permit applications, code-violation reporting via a Report a Concern portal, Right to Know request processing, and public information access. No APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities are documented; digital infrastructure is administrative-facing rather than platform-oriented. Service delivery operates through hybrid channels: in-person at the Municipal Building (230 N. Jefferson Street, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-3:30 PM), online self-service, and direct field service via department offices. Marketing and community outreach combine the official website, a Facebook presence (Home Rule Study Commission page), community events (Fireworks Festival, Back to the Fifties Car Cruise, Cascade of Lights, summer concert series), and direct business outreach through the Community and Economic Development Department.

The revenue model is a multi-stream municipal structure anchored by split-rate property taxation (land at 36.815 mills, buildings/improvements at 10.435 mills, effective rate 15.476 mills), supplemented by Local Services Tax and Earned Income Tax (collected via Berkheimer Tax Administrator), business licenses and permits, park and recreation fees (picnic shelter rentals, golf green fees), police fees (fingerprinting at $25/card, solicitation permits, parade permits), and federal/state grants including Community Development Block Grant and HOME Grant allocations. Pricing is statutorily set via annual city ordinances, with no Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax currently in effect. The November 2025 issuance of a $3,100,000 General Obligation Note (Ordinance 8487) for capital improvements and fire equipment refinancing demonstrates active capital-markets activity, with budget documents disclosed via the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (EMMA).

Name

City of New Castle

Legal name

City of New Castle

Website

https://newcastlepa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The City of New Castle is a Third Class municipal government in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, serving approximately 23,273 residents across 7.7 square miles with police, fire, public works, code enforcement, parks, recreation, and tax collection services under a 2021 Home Rule Charter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety services
• Parks and recreation
• Code enforcement
• Tax collection services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Castle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Collection: The city collects city property taxes on real estate, with split-rate taxation on land (36.815 mills) and buildings/improvements (10.435 mills). Combined effective rate of 15.476 mills. Tax collection handled through the Tax Office at the Municipal Building.
2. Local Services Tax and Earned Income Tax: Local Services Tax and Local Earned Income (Wage) Tax collected by Berkheimer Tax Administrator.
3. Business Licenses and Permits: Revenue from peddlers and solicitors licensing fees, construction permits, zoning permits, and business privilege taxes. No Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax currently.
4. Park and Recreation Fees: Rental fees for picnic shelters (Large Shelter $78, Small Shelter $52) and green fees for Sylvan Heights Golf Course. Facility rentals generate non-refundable fee revenue.
5. Police Department Fees: Fees for fingerprinting private individuals for employment ($25 per card), solicitation permits ($50/day or $250/month), and parade/assemblage permits.
6. Federal and State Grants: Annual funding from Community Development Block Grant, HOME Grant, and other state/federal grants for community development and economic development projects. Act 47 status allows enhanced wage tax collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The City of New Castle is a Third Class City municipal government in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, providing a range of public services to residents and businesses. Core offerings include police and fire protection, parks and recreation (including the Sylvan Heights Golf Course), tax collection, code enforcement, community and economic development programs such as the Façade Improvement Program, public works, and operation of the New Castle Municipal Airport.

Product overview

City of New Castle operates as a third-class city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, offering a comprehensive suite of municipal government services through its official website portal. The city's service portfolio includes core public safety operations (police and fire departments), community development programs (facade improvement, economic development, code enforcement), parks and recreation (including the 72.26-acre Cascade Park and 18-hole Sylvan Heights Golf Course), and municipal tax collection services. The city's digital presence centers on its official website (newcastlepa.org) which provides access to online tax payments, permits, forms, department information, news, and community resources. Key programs include the Downtown Facade Improvement Program offering up to $5,000 reimbursements for commercial property improvements, and various economic development initiatives through the Community & Economic Development Department.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Police Department Services Law enforcement and public safety services provided to residents and businesses within the City of New Castle.
• Fire Department Services Fire suppression, emergency response, and fire prevention services for the City of New Castle.
• Parks and Recreation Services Operation of public parks, recreational programs, and the Sylvan Heights Golf Course for city residents and visitors.
• Tax Collection Services Municipal tax collection for city residents and property owners, including earned income, property, and other local taxes.
• Code Enforcement Enforcement of city building, property maintenance, and zoning codes to ensure compliance with municipal regulations.
• Community and Economic Development Programs Programs including the Façade Improvement Program to support local economic growth and community revitalization.
• Public Works Services Maintenance and operation of city infrastructure including streets, sanitation, and public facilities.
• New Castle Municipal Airport Operation of the municipal airport providing aviation services and facilities.
• City Government Services Portal Online portal providing residents with access to city government information and services.

Quantifiable outcome

• No Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax for business operations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Duquesne University Small Business Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Duquesne University SBDC offers no-cost consulting to entrepreneurs and small business owners in New Castle. They have an outreach office at the Lawrence County Regional Chamber of Commerce and provide services including business plan writing, business structure guidance, and seminars for small businesses.
• Lawrence County Regional Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with the city on business development initiatives and houses the Duquesne University SBDC outreach office. Provides resources for starting and growing businesses in the New Castle area.
• Citywide Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development organization partnering with the city on downtown revitalization and the Facade Improvement Program. Round 1 of the facade program financed through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as allocated by the city.
• Forward LawrenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence County economic development organization working in coordination with city economic development efforts to promote business investment and growth.
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYNDC is working with the City of New Castle to complete a city-wide property conditions survey to identify vacant structures and major exterior code violations to help the city target resources for housing and quality of life improvements.
• Forward TrendsminorOthersWebsite development and maintenance provider for the City of New Castle's official website (newcastlepa.org).
• Haski Aviation, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFixed Base Operator (FBO) at New Castle Municipal Airport offering flight training since 1962. Approved by both FAA and Veterans Administration. One of only VA-approved flight schools in Western Pennsylvania, offering instruction from private pilot through airline transport pilot ratings.
• New Castle Area Transit AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides local and long-distance bus services for New Castle area residents, with the city coordinating on public transit transfer station development in downtown.
• Greyhound Bus CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides long-distance bus service connecting New Castle residents to regional and national destinations.
• Lawrence County Federated Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides library resources and educational services for youth and adults of New Castle, supporting educational needs of the community.
• Visit Lawrence County (Tourist Promotion Agency)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides visitor guides and tourism promotion for New Castle and Lawrence County, helping market community events and attractions to tourists.
• New Castle Area School DistrictcoreOthersServes as the primary educational institution for city children, with the city providing facilities, coordination, and community support. Athletic programs and facilities are shared resources.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City of Sharon, Pennsylvania: A small Pennsylvania third-class city in the same Western PA region with comparable population size, legacy municipal service structure, and similar economic-development challenges, including prior Act 47 oversight. Directly comparable for benchmarking municipal finance and revitalization outcomes.
• City of Farrell, Pennsylvania: A neighboring small Pennsylvania city in Mercer County that also operated under Act 47 distressed-municipality status, making it a directly comparable peer for fiscal recovery trajectory, governance restructuring, and population-base constraints.
• City of DuBois, Pennsylvania: A central Pennsylvania third-class city of similar size and economic profile. Comparable for benchmarking small-city public-safety staffing, parks and recreation operations, and small-budget capital planning.
• City of Meadville, Pennsylvania: A Pennsylvania third-class city of similar population size with its own historic downtown and economic-development programs, providing a directly comparable benchmark for facade improvement, code enforcement, and small-city revitalization strategy.
• City of Oil City, Pennsylvania: A small Pennsylvania city with similar legacy industrial economic base, comparable population scale, and parallel municipal service portfolio. A directly comparable peer for evaluating tax-revenue reliance and community-development outcomes.
• City of Hermitage, Pennsylvania: A Mercer County, PA city of similar scale serving as a regional services and commercial hub near New Castle. Comparable for benchmarking municipal tax structure, business-incentive design, and inter-municipal service competition in the same labor market.

Broad incumbents

• City of Allentown, Pennsylvania: A Pennsylvania city that emerged from Act 47 oversight in 2015 and executed a Neighborhood Improvement Zone development strategy, providing a broader precedent for fiscal-distressed-to-revitalized trajectories in the Commonwealth.
• City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania: A Pennsylvania city that has executed a successful downtown revitalization strategy anchored by its historic district, providing a broader benchmark for how preservation-based economic development can transform a small-city tax and tourism base over time.
• City of Scranton, Pennsylvania: A larger Pennsylvania city that exited Act 47 in 2022 after multi-year recovery; serves as a relevant broader benchmark for governance restructuring, debt reduction, and the timeline/risk profile of the Act 47 exit path New Castle is pursuing.
• City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The dominant regional municipality in Western Pennsylvania and the principal economic gravity center near New Castle. Relevant as a broader incumbent peer for the regional labor market, infrastructure investment patterns, and competing municipal-service expectations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NCHRSC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-new-castle-pa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of New Castle