Wilkes-Barre’s August balance positive, budget shortfall expected at year’s end

WILKES-BARRE — The city’s general fund balance not only remained positive in August, it grew.

The month-over-month difference did not match the year-to-year comparison, however.

According to a draft of the monthly financial report, the August balance stood at $8.5 million, compared to $6.6 million in July.

But the August balance was $2.4 million less than the $10.9 million reported for the same period in 2019.

Mayor George Brown has been candid about the looming budget shortfall and its cause, the novel coronavirus pandemic. The steps government officials took to control the spread of COVID-19 and protect the public also hurt the economy through business shutdowns and layoffs.

“We know we’re not going to hit the mark,” Brown said Tuesday.

Operating on Brown’s $51.9 million balanced budget, the city was on track to end the year with a surplus before the pandemic hit, Brown said. He estimated the shortfall at more than $4 million, but the amount remains to be seen as budgeted revenues received next year are booked for 2020.

As of Aug. 31, the city reported $33.9 million in revenues compared to $25.3 million in expenses.

The city collected $10.2 million or approximately 94 % of the $11.5 million budgeted for property tax revenues. By the end of August 2019, the city collected $11 million in property taxes.

The city did better with the Earned Income Tax, collecting $10.4 million of the $14.6 million budgeted. Last year it collected $10.3 million for the first eight months of 2019.

The revenues were buoyed by a $3 million Tax Anticipation Note that the city takes out at the start of the year to carry it over until tax revenues are collected. The city carries the note as an expense and routinely pays it by the end of the year.

Still to be paid are the approximate $7.2 million in Minimum Municipal Obligations for the five pension plans. The state contributes more than $2 million toward the plans, but that payment was not received as of the end of August.

The city took on additional expenses related to pandemic and has itemized them for anticipated reimbursement. The draft report listed $797,537 for salaries and overtime expenses for public safety services and department expenditures.