Luzerne County Government

January 13, 2010

Cooney meets with chiefs on cuts

Cooney meets with chiefs on cuts

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Luzerne County Commissioner Thomas Cooney is still meeting with department heads to determine whether they’re willing and able to run their offices with funding cuts imposed by the 2010 budget.

Cooney and Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla passed a budget on Dec. 30 that raises taxes 10 percent and reduces the salary portion of most department budgets by 6.7 percent, or about $6 million. The new spending plan has not been implemented because it may be amended by Feb. 15.

Every manager or official approached so far has been willing to suggest cuts or revenue increases to comply with some or all of the budget allotments, Cooney said.

“It’s been extremely positive. I’m getting a good lesson in cooperation,” Cooney said.

But Petrilla said she does not expect departments to come up with the reductions needed to avoid countywide staff cuts.

“We’re really trying to go over the budget with a fine-tooth comb, but I don’t think we’re going to find the millions that we need,” Petrilla said.

Petrilla said she hopes to have a status report on the budget by Thursday’s work session.

She had proposed an 18.5 percent tax increase to avoid wide-scale layoffs, but Cooney would only agree to a 10 percent increase. Cooney, who was appointed commissioner on Dec. 23 to replace Greg Skrepenak, will not say if he would be willing to raise taxes more than 10 percent.

He had not yet met with the courts as of Tuesday afternoon.

It’s expected that the courts will resort to litigation if commissioners stick to the $1.8 million in court branch cuts passed in the budget. The court would likely argue that it won’t have the resources needed to fulfill its statutory obligations.

President Judge Thomas Burke has said it’s premature to comment because the budget cuts are still under review and have not been deemed definite by the commissioners.

Burke has also said the court cannot produce large spending reductions because “substantial” cuts were made in the courts last year. County judges had agreed to about $2 million in cuts in 2009 in addition to a $3 million reduction on placements for juvenile offenders.

County Budget/Finance Chief Tom Pribula said he will prepare an updated budget incorporating changes found during Cooney’s meetings.

Pribula stressed that departments have not come up with $6 million in cuts or new revenue required in the budget, which means commissioners will have to decide whether they want to make up the difference through a higher tax increase or layoffs.

“A couple of people have been able to contribute a good portion, but there were others that could not touch the number pushed through in the budget,” Pribula said.

Several department heads say they have been scouring their budgets to try to accommodate the new allotments.

The prison budget, for example, was reduced $322,885 from 2009, for a new authorization of $26 million.

Prison Warden Joseph Piazza said he has been shaving expenses here and there in an attempt to live within the new amount without cutting staff.

“I’m going to try like heck to manage it, barring any catastrophes or breakdowns or unforeseen increases for food or utilities,” Piazza said.

Register of Wills Dottie Stankovic said she agreed to strip travel and mileage reimbursements from her budget and has proposed raising some fees.

“I don’t charge the county for mileage or travel,” Stankovic said. “I’m willing to work with the commissioners because they’re in such a tight spot.”

County Assessor’s Office Director Tony Alu said he has been meeting with his staffers to brainstorm ideas to cut out $134,300 in expenses to comply with the new budget. For example, he banned all nonessential color copies so he can cut back on more expensive color ink cartridges.

The 2010 budget also omits funding for staff in tax claim, recreation and Moon Lake Park, but those cuts have not yet been implemented, creating a concern that the budget is already being overspent.

The $124.8 million budget increases taxes from 4.5347 to 4.9882 mills. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 in assessed property value. Under the new rate, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $499 in county taxes, up from $453 under the 2009 rate.

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