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Luzerne County government spent 41 percent of its $134.85 million budget and collected 82 percent of projected revenues as of June 30, according to a newly released mid-year report.
County council’s administrative code mandates a mid-year report by Aug. 15. County Manager C. David Pedri is scheduled to present the report at Tuesday’s council meeting.
In a summary, Pedri said the administration projects the county will end 2017 within budget.
The lion’s share of the revenue comes from real estate taxes. The budget counts on $118.05 million from taxes, and $103.22 million — or 87 percent — was received as of June 30, the report shows.
Remaining revenue sources include fees, fines, rent, grants and reimbursements.
Personnel costs are the largest budgeted expense, at $68.8 million, followed by $26.3 million for debt repayments, the report shows.
Budgeted staffing expenses include $10.58 million for health insurance, $7.7 million for retirement benefits, $1.4 million for overtime, $1 million for holiday pay and $463,791 for length-of-service, or longevity, bonuses.
Overall, the county spent $29.2 million, or 42 percent, of the personnel allocation by June 30. However, this percentage is impacted by a lack of any payments for retirement benefits during the period, the report shows.
The report notes overtime spending totaled $807,618, or 57 percent of the budgeted amount, because some departments have been forced to increase hours to prepare for the moving of records to a new county-owned storage building in Hanover Township.