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WILKES-BARRE — The city maintained a hefty fund balance through September, but more than $10 million in big ticket expenses still have to be paid by year’s end, according to a draft of the monthly financial report.
The balance stood at $9.9 million three quarters of the way through the fiscal year, according to the report provided by the city.
The city is operating on a $47.1 million balanced budget this year, and the report listed $36.6 million in revenues and approximately $26.7 million in expenses as of Sept. 30.
Still outstanding are pension and debt service payments and the Tax Anticipation Note that city secured at the beginning of the year to fund operations until tax revenues started to roll in. Together they will cost the city $10.6 million:
• $3.2 million for debt service
• $3 million for the TAN
• $2.4 million in combined minimum monthly obligation payments for the two police pension plans
• Approximately $2 million in combined MMOs for the two firefighter pension plans.
Overtime costs also continue to rise, but city Administrator Ted Wampole said for the most part the increases have slowed down, except for the police and fire departments.
The police and fire contracts have minimum manning levels that contribute to the overtime, Wampole explained.
“We can’t really control that,” Wampole said.
Vacation and workers compensation cases affect the staffing levels in both police and fire, Wampole said.
The police department is further hampered by vacancies. “Part of it is we’re down six,” Wampole said.
According to the report:
• Police patrol division OT, $123,194 or 123 percent of the $100,000 budgeted
• Police community services OT, $1,192 or 119 per cent of the $1,000 budgeted
• Police traffic control OT, $2,828 or 282 percent of the $1,000 budgeted
• Firefighting OT, $34,296 or 171 percent of the $20,000 budgeted
• Firefighting emergency OT, $23,085 or 115 percent of the $20,000 budgeted
• Ambulance services OT $48,877 or 108 percent of the $45,000 budgeted
• Ambulance services emergency OT $15,246 or 203 percent of the $7,500 budgeted.
The Department of Public Works recorded increases , some of which can be traced back to the cleanup from the March blizzard, Wampole said. “It’s all been paid,” he said, but it shows up months afterward.
• Waste collection OT, $75,553 or 189 percent of $40,000 budgeted
• Waste collection special events OT, $19,921 or 199 percent of $10,000 budgeted
• Waste collection special events double time, $15,628 or 223 percent of $7,000 budgeted.