Wilkes-Barre City Council passes Mayor Brown’s 2022 budget

WILKES-BARRE — City Council Tuesday approved Mayor George Brown’s $54.4 million balanced budget for 2022 and took the first steps toward expanding permit parking downtown and lowering recycling and sewer maintenance fees.

Council unanimously passed the second and final reading of the budget ordinance and also moved the other ordinances on the fees and parking onto second readings at the next meeting on Dec. 21. The three ordinances were the only items on the agenda for the combined work session and public meeting.

The reduced fees are included in the budget, but in order for them to be lowered by $25 as proposed by Brown Council has to amend the ordinance. The changes take effect 10 days after the final reading and approval.

The reductions somewhat pleased Sam Troy, who frequently asks that the city ease the burden it places on residents with taxes and fees for services.

“I’m as happy as anybody that the recycling and sewer fees are going to be reduced back to where they were, $50. That’s correct, right?” said Troy.

Earlier this year Brown and Council went back and forth on the fees. He wanted to double them to $100, but Council reduced them to $50 in their amended budget. In February, Brown vetoed the changes, saying the reduced fees would leave a $1.45 million hole on the revenue side of the budget and force his administration to make cuts in services to residents. He subsequently increased the fees to $75 and said he would do his best to make up for the lower revenues through good fiscal management.

The 2022 budget appeared to show the city has weathered the financial storm, especially with the $37.1 million in American Rescue Plan funds it received from the federal government, and Troy suggested further reducing the fees to $25 and slightly decreasing the property and earned income taxes.

“These hardworking people of the city of Wilkes-Barre might deserve somewhat of a break, God forbid, and the average taxpayer,” Troy said.

The budget does not contain a property tax increase, but it taps into $1.8 million in ARP funds to balance it.

The city was awarded the ARP money earlier this year after the $1.9 trillion financial aid package to help with the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was signed into law by President Joe Biden. However, the federal government set strict conditions on how the ARP money can be used.

Brown and members of his administration said the funds can be used to replace decreased revenues, but not to reduce taxes or pay into pension plans.

Responding to Troy’s call for help for the taxpayer, Brown said his administration has created financial assistance programs using ARP money to attract new businesses, assist non-profit social service agencies, provide a $300 stimulus payment to eligible residents, pay for remodeling and down payments closing costs on home purchases.

The city “carved out” $7.1 million in ARP funds with all those programs to benefit residents, Brown said.

The pending change to the parking ordinance will expand the zone for permit parking on West Ross Street all the way to South Main Street. It stops at Barnum Place, forcing tenants in the Cumberland Apartments to park two blocks away in a church parking lot, said Kelly Michinski, property manager of the apartment building.

“I got about 30 people that will be very happy to have closer parking,” Michinski said.