Butler County can look forward to the impact of new leaders and new businesses in 2016.

The course of county government will be determined by new county commissioners. The Butler School Board has a new majority that will shape district decisions for the next four years.

A new hotel and a parking garage will rise in downtown Butler.

Here is a look at some of the major events that will happen in 2016 throughout the county.

[naviga:h3]County government[/naviga:h3]

[naviga:li]Three new county commissioners — Leslie Osche, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel — will be sworn in Monday. They will replace Bill McCarrier, Dale Pinkerton and Jim Eckstein.

They have said they quickly will review the 2016 county budget that contains a 3-mill property tax increase to see what, if any, changes they want to make.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]One major issue they are expected to deal with is a federally mandated 911 radio system upgrade, which could cost the county up to $13 million.

Federal law requires the Federal Communications Commission to take away the use of the T-band spectrum radio frequency from emergency services by 2022 and auction it off to the private sector. Butler County is among the areas nationwide that use that frequency.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Perry O'Malley, the former executive director of the county Housing and Redevelopment Authority, will learn his fate in 2016.

He was fired in March, and appealed his firing to the state Civil Service Commission. Several hearings were held in the fall, and the commission is expected to vote in the first half of 2016 on whether his termination was justified.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:h3]A political year[/naviga:h3]

It will be a big year for national and state elections. The primary will be April 26 and the general election will be Nov. 8.

[naviga:li]Residents will get a chance to vote in the presidential election. One U.S. Senate seat will be on the ballot as well. Incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Toomey has one Republican opponent for the primary, and there are four Democratic candidates.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The 3rd District House seat, held by Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler, also is on the ballot. No one, including Kelly, has announced as a candidate in that race.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Additionally, all seven state House seats and all three state Senate seats in the county are up for election.

Republican voters in the 12th State House District will have a primary race as Gordon Marburger will run against incumbent Daryl Metcalfe. Marburger lost as a write-in candidate to Metcalfe in the GOP primary two years ago.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The state attorney general will be on the ballot. Attorney General Kathleen Kane's tenure has been mired in controversy, and she had her law license suspended by the state Supreme Court. She has indicated she wants to run again, but it is unclear whether that can happen because of her suspended license.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:h3]Business ventures[/naviga:h3]

[naviga:li]The city's Centre City project is expected to be close to completion by the end of this year. The project includes a Marriott Springhill Suites hotel on East Jefferson Street and a neighboring parking garage near the corner of Cunningham and McKean streets.

Work on the 76-room hotel and 230-space garage began in the fall, and both structures could be open by the end of the year, depending on how quickly construction moves.

The $8.2 million hotel and nearly $5 million garage have been proposed downtown for almost a decade. [/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]A new development in Center Township of a Rite Aid Pharmacy and a Sheetz is expected to open by the end of the year, according to its developers.

The development will be directly across Route 8 from the Clearview Mall's northern entrance. The developers plan to begin grading early this year with construction on the two buildings beginning in the spring.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Construction for the new FedEx distribution center off Route 528 in Jackson Township is expected to be done by August.

The 300,000-square-foot distribution center may create more than 500 jobs.

Jackson Pointe Commerce Park at the intersection of Route 528 and Route 19 expects more businesses. Penske Truck Rental and a medical supply company are in talks to move there. [/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]A Steamfitters trade school and a Murphy Tractor store are planned in Harmony and Zelienople. Construction on Murphy Tractor is expected to be done this year while the Steamfitters facility is scheduled for a 2017 completion.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]A shopping center on New Castle Road at Route 422 in Butler Township, known as Greenwood Plaza, is expected to be completed this year. The center, which includes a new Dicks store, a Mattress Firm and several other retail businesses, is a multi-million-dollar venture.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Butler Township also will see construction of a planned $11 million, eight-building housing development along North Duffy Road by Ohio-based developer Woda. There was no indication of when that would be completed.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:h3]Education [/naviga:h3]

[naviga:li]The Butler School District will compile a report on the impact of the district building consolidation this year.

An interim report is set for Jan. 31 and a final report by Feb. 29. A committee will look at the objectives and the results of the consolidation.

Pending that review, the district may move forward with the sale of the four closed elementary schools: Broad Street, Clearfield, Meridian and Oakland. [/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Butler County Community College plans to open the Heaton Family Learning Commons before the fall semester. The $5.5 million project will replace the John A. Beck Jr. Library, with construction having started in June.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The South Butler County School District does not have a teacher contract, having been without a new one since June 2014. Negotiations continue between the district and the South Butler County Education Association. [/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which represents 475 professors and 30 coaches at Slippery Rock University also is without a contract.

The union had proposed a one-year contract in October. The State System of Higher Education made a counter offer Nov. 6, but the union rejected it citing increasing health care costs.

Negotiations are expected to continue this year. [/naviga:li]

[naviga:h3]Other events[/naviga:h3]

[naviga:li]A hearing is scheduled in April on an amended lawsuit by a group of Middlesex Township shale gas leaseholders against those who object to the five Rex Energy wells being developed at the Bob and Kim Geyer farm. The original lawsuit, which claims the objectors are preventing the leaseholders from earning gas royalties, was rejected in September as lacking details by Judge Marilyn Horan.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Adam Guiher, owner of Moraine Living Treasures Animal Park in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, plans to build a safari park just outside the county.

The park is planned for 140 acres on Route 258 in Mercer County, near Slippery Rock and Grove City. The park is expected to be completed and opened by late 2016 or early 2017.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Construction on VA Butler Healthcare's new 168,000-square-foot facility in Center Township will continue. The project's completion deadline is December 2017.[/naviga:li]0

[naviga:li]County Judge Marilyn Horan, a Butler County Court judge since 1996, is expected to fill a vacancy on the federal bench in Pittsburgh.

Horan was nominated to the seat by President Obama. In December she completed a Senate confirmation hearing necessary to become a federal judge.

There's no timetable for when the Senate will vote on Horan's nomination.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Because of Horan's expected move to the federal bench, a new county judge will need to appointed.

Gov. Tom Wolf will nominate a candidate who will have to be confirmed by the state Senate. When this will occur is unknown.[/naviga:li]