Luzerne County Government

January 29, 2010

County taxes will increase

Commissioners will unveil budget amendments today, with spending plan up from original proposal.

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

Luzerne County commissioners will unveil their 2010 budget amendments at 9:30 a.m. today, and it appears that taxes will increase more than the 10 percent originally approved.

As of Thursday afternoon, the proposed amended spending plan was around $127 million – up from the $124.8 million budget passed by commissioners Thomas Cooney and Maryanne Petrilla on Dec. 31.

The amended increase was around 15 percent as of Thursday afternoon, according to insiders.

County Budget/Finance Chief Tom Pribula declined comment, saying he was still working on the amendments.

Cooney declined to discuss details about the amendments or tax increase Thursday, saying he wants to wait for today’s meeting.

The budget passed Dec. 31 contained a $6 million hole because the salary portion of most department budgets was cut by 6.7 percent.

Cooney, Petrilla and other county officials have been meeting with departments since then to try to identify ways to close the gap.

“We have secured some savings, cuts and new revenue, but not as much as we had hoped for,” said Cooney.

Commissioners have two options to fill the remaining gap: force staff cuts or increase taxes more than 10 percent.

Petrilla also declined comment Thursday, deferring comment to today’s meeting.

Petrilla had originally proposed an 18.5 percent tax increase, but Cooney would only agree to the 10 percent hike.

Cooney was appointed commissioner on Dec. 23 to replace Greg Skrepenak, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting a $5,000 bribe in exchange for helping a contractor to secure government assistance to fund a project.

County taxes were 4.5347 mills last year and increased to 4.9882 mills under the budget passed Dec. 31.

With this 10 percent increase, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $499 in county taxes, up from $453 last year.

A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 in assessed property value.

If taxes increase 15 percent, the millage would be around 5.2, which equates to a $521 county tax bill for the $100,000 property owner.

The 9:30 a.m. meeting is open to the public and will be held in the commissioners’ meeting room at the courthouse.

The amended budget will be on public display until it is adopted at another special meeting scheduled at 10 a.m. Feb. 12.

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