Letter shows cost of security upgrades to Pa. Governor's Residence after arson
A letter from Pennsylvania State Police to Pennsylvania House and Senate leaders details the costs of recommended security upgrades to the Governor’s Residence months after a man tried to burn it down in an attempt to kill Gov. Josh Shapiro as he and his family slept inside.
Earlier this month, Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault and related offenses. Under the plea deal, Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison. Officials said he won’t be eligible for parole until he is 63 years old.
The attack, which happened on April 13, 2025, caused millions of dollars in damages to the Governor’s Residence. On Friday, Oct. 24, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher L. Paris and Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) Secretary Reginald B. McNeil, II, sent a letter to 10 Pennsylvania House and Senate leaders addressing the recommended security upgrades after the arson and how much they cost.
“While unsuccessful, the incident showed that major security updates were needed to protect public visitors to the Governor’s Residence, the current First Family, and all future governors from active threats at a time when elected officials across the country are facing rising political violence,” the letter states.
Paris and McNeil said their respective agencies have worked to restore the Governor’s Residence to its original condition as well as make improvements to security since the attack.
“Our first priority was to restore the Governor’s Residence in order to allow the public to once again have access to the property and ensure the First Family could resume residency in the home,” they wrote. “The destruction was significant – the illegal, forced entry, as well as the subsequent fire started with homemade Molotov cocktails, resulted in considerable damage to the structure, interior rooms, furniture, and fixtures throughout the Governor’s Residence.”
An update to Gov. Shapiro’s executive budget proposal that was submitted by Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson on May 16, 2025, showed the estimated cost to restore the Residence back to its pre-fire condition was $6.44 million. As of Oct. 24, the DGS has submitted $4.5 million in expenses incurred, Paris and McNeil wrote. They also said FM Global – the insurance carrier the DGS has worked with – has so far approved a reimbursement of $2 million, retained $1 million for the deductible and paid the Commonwealth back $1 million.
“We continue to work closely with FM Global for approval on additional reimbursements for restoration-related costs already incurred and expect to fully recover for all smoke and fire damage to the property,” the letter states.
The letter also details the structural improvements needed to enhance the security of the Governor’s Residence following an independent security review in May which led to the security recommendations.
The letter states the update to the budget proposal submitted by Secretary Monson requested an appropriation amount of $16.9 million to cover the safety upgrade improvements that weren’t covered by insurance. According to Paris and McNeil, they identified General Fund appropriations and Capital Projects Public Improvement Program (PIP) funds as sources for funding.
They also said replacing the entire outer perimeter barrier at the Residence – which was another one of the security recommendations – would cost an estimated $14 million.
Other recommendations included installing updated security cameras, improving lighting and adding motion detection sensors to the yard of the Residence which would cost an estimated $6.3 million.
The recommendation of retrofitting the Residence’s existing windows with bullet-proof and shatter-proof glass would cost an estimated $8 million, according to the letter.
The Residence – which was built in 1968 and has not been substantially updated since 1974 – did not have a fire suppression system or sprinklers during April’s attack in which Balmer threw Molotov cocktails throughout the State Dining Room to light the building on fire. Following the recommendations, the DGS is installing a comprehensive fire suppression system inside the building. The letter states the sprinkler system costs an estimated $4 million and will be paid for with PIP funds.
The fire also damaged decorative items inside the home. The letter states private money is being used to replace them.
Finally, the letter states that Pennsylvania State Police consulted with independent experts to conduct a security review of Gov. Shapiro’s personal residence. The security improvements to the home based on recommendations from the review would cost around $1 million.
“The horrifying attack on the Governor, his family, and Commonwealth property, coupled with the unfortunate rise in political violence across our country, has made these updates necessary to protect the Governor and his family and ensure the continued operation of the executive branch of the Commonwealth,” McNeil and Paris wrote. “No family should have to live behind bulletproof glass or behind large walls – but the nature of the threats against elected officials today require us to take these important steps.”
Senator Jarrett Coleman responds to letter
After the letter was sent, Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R – 16th District), the Chairman of Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, released a statement in response.
“For the past two weeks, the Intergovernmental Operations Committee has been looking into whether or not tax dollars were being used to modify the Governor’s private residence,” Sen. Coleman wrote. “Today we were informed by the Department of General Services and the Pennsylvania State Police that $1 million will be spent on modifying and increasing the value of the governor’s private real estate property. The Intergovernmental Operations Committee will continue to investigate how this decision was made and what steps are being taken to protect taxpayers as this unprecedented project is being completed.”
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