Brown’s budget: Everything you need to know about mayor’s plan

WILKES-BARRE — Twenty days into his administration Mayor George Brown took ownership of the office, proposing a $51.9 million balanced budget with no property tax increase this year. 

The budget presented Monday at City Hall had been months in the making and the top priority for Brown as he prepared to replace outgoing Mayor Tony George whose $52.6 million balanced budget failed to gain traction with his successor and city council last year.

“We put in a lot of time. Our eyeballs were popping out, OK,” Brown, 68 and a Democrat, said of the long days and nights by him and his staff that preceded his presentation. “But I’m telling you that this budget is solid. It’s real numbers and we’re going to run the city that way, on real numbers.”

The proposed budget next will be the focus of a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the fourth-floor city council chambers at City Hall. Council will have the opportunity at its meeting Thursday to cast the first of two votes necessary to approve Brown’s numbers before the Feb. 15 deadline set by the City Charter.

Council Chairman Bill Barrett joined the other four elected council members at Brown’s presentation.

“So far I’m OK with it,” Barrett said. He had not gone through it line by line, but said he was happy there were no tax or fee increases for residents. He added that he was looking forward to hear from residents at the public hearing.

The proposed budget maintains the millage rate at 141.33 mills. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Wilkes-Barre uses its own assessment, the only municipality in Luzerne County to do so. All the others use the county assessments.

Many of the revenue and expense entries matched those in George’s proposed budget, including:

•$11.5 million in property tax revenues.

• $14.6 million in earned income tax revenues.

• $3 million expense for a Tax Anticipation Note.

• A combined $7.1 million in Minimum Municipal Obligation payments owed to the city’s five pension plans.

But Brown adjusted figures to what he said were more “realistic” and “attainable,” specifically regarding three downtown construction projects that have been in the works for year but have yet to begin.

“After our initial review of the projects included in the previously proposed budget, we identified over $1 million in revenue that we considered too risky to include in the budget,” Brown said.

Rather than pare down the $540,000 budgeted from the sale the city-owned First National Bank building on Public Square, Brown eliminated the line item.

“At this time I don’t believe that we are any closer to selling that property and therefore I’m not going to rely on that source of revenue to balance this budget,” Brown said.

Personnel voluntarily and involuntarily contributed to balancing the proposed budget.

Brown got rid of the $46,981-a-year Parking Enforcement Officer Supervisor position held by Tom Unvarsky who was appointed to the post by former mayor George. “That position was eliminated today,” Brown said.

The $19,264-year deputy city administrator post held by City Attorney Tim Henry also was eliminated. His salary was increased to $77,500 from $60,174 and he ended up with a pay cut of $1,938 in the proposed budget.

Brown thanked those who stepped up to help. “They understand the situation the city is in and they’ve come forward and they’ve said, ‘Mayor, I’m willing to take a reduction or not take benefits,’ whatever that case may be,” he said.

While campaigning for the office Brown promised to cut his salary and forgo benefits. He’s working for $60,000 a year, down from the $82,000 George was paid.

On other hand, medical insurance for city council tripled to $35,862 from the $11,109 in George’s proposed budget. Council salaries remained the same at a combined $67,495.

Despite the long hours and late nights Brown confided his love for the job.

“It’s a great job and I have great people supporting me, great staff,” Brown said.

“I hope you folks are leaving today with a very positive attitude because I am and I’ll sleep better tonight now that this is over and we’ll move forward,” Brown concluded his presentation. “And I’m hoping that city council will take this under consideration and pass this so that we can start moving forward and do the things we have to do.”