Harrisburg's first female mayor-elect, Linda Thompson, will be on proving ground when she takes office Jan 4.

In Harrisburg and York, first-term mayors are poised to bring new agendas, new administrations and new approaches. In Lancaster, the re-election of Democratic Mayor Rick Gray promises continuity with the recent past, a period that brought a surge in development.

Fresh off her mayoral race victory over Wendell K. Banks, Kim Bracey has turned her attention to assembling her administration and formulating a game plan for when she takes office.

A look at the top business priorities of mayors-elect in Harrisburg, Lancaster and York

If Central Pennsylvania is ever going to have a regional transit line, there have to be fresh discussions about how to pay for Capital Red Rose Corridor, Dauphin County Commissioner Dominic DiFrancesco said.

Midstate real estate agents said they are confident the extension of the federal first-time homebuyer tax credit and the addition of a tax credit for homeowners looking to move will help resuscitate the region's housing market.