Members of Wilkes-Barre City Council conduct Tuesday’s combined work and regular session.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
No tax or fee increases made
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WILKES-BARRE — City Council on Tuesday at its last meeting before the Thanksgiving holiday gave final approval to the 2025 budget as well as emergency changes to the police civil service rules and several appointments to the Wilkes-Barre Finance Authority.
As previously reported, Mayor George Brown’s balanced budget for the new year contains no tax or fee increases.
The spending plan, including revenue and expenditures, totals $58.46 million, which represents a 7.7% increase from this year’s budget of $54.25 million.
The budget accounted for the potential loss of nearly $750,000 in annual real estate tax from Commonwealth Health’s General Hospital due to what was, at the time, a pending sale of Commonwealth Health facilities in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to non-profit WoodBridge Healthcare.
However, it was announced late Tuesday that that deal was terminated due to WoodBridge’s inability to secure bond financing.
Council also approved, on final reading, changes to the rules and regulations for hiring police officers as an emergency measure to fill 12 vacant spots on the force.
The amendment would allow the department to create a non-competitive list of applicants who are already Act 120 certified.
Those who are not Act 120 certified will still be allowed to apply to the department. The amendment will essentially create two lists to choose from when hiring in order to fill vacancies faster.
Council also approved the city to assist St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, 905 S. Main St., in securing an LSA grant of $189,500 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for a renovation project.
Parish Council Chair John Moses, explained that the church is now dated, having been built in 1969, and requires a number of repairs, including a new roof and the replacement of its air conditioning system, which stopped working in May.
“The reason why we’re here is not to serve our church, but the community,” said Parish Vice Chair Alyssa Fort. “We want to keep those doors open.”
Additionally, council approved several appointments including the reappointment of David Wilson to the Lower South Valley Land Bank Board of Directors, Jeanne Dessoye, Tony Thomas, and Tracy Smith to the Wilkes-Barre Finance Authority Tony Thomas to the Wilkes-Barre Finance Authority, with terms set to expire on Dec. 31, 2027.
Tony Thomas also serves as Wilkes-Barre City Controller and Tracy Smith serves as Assistant City Clerk.
The next Wilkes-Barre City Council meeting will be a combined work and regular session beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Wilkes-Barre City Hall.