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Luzerne County’s prison system remains the largest single department expense, eating up $28.5 million, or 20 percent of next year’s proposed $141.1 million general fund operating budget, a review shows.

Revenue from the prison is budgeted at $954,489 next year, an increase of approximately $376,000.

Spending on the Water Street prison and a minimum offenders building on Reichard Street, both in Wilkes-Barre, has long made up a large percentage of the county budget.

County Manager C. David Pedri and some other county officials say a new jail with a more efficient layout could reduce spending on operation and labor, but the proposal has not progressed beyond periodic discussion because the county would have to borrow funds to pay for it and identify an affordable and feasible construction site in a community that would not object.

With pending borrowing for an energy project factored in, the county owes an estimated $319.9 million through 2029, officials have said.

Debt repayments are next in line as a top expense in the proposed budget, totaling $26.5 million, or 18.8 percent of spending.

Ranking third is the “general government” category, totaling $21.2 million.

The lion’s share of this category is for health insurance and employee pension fund subsidy — two increases Pedri cited as a driver for the administration’s proposed 2 percent real estate tax increase.

Health insurance is slated to increase from $10.57 million to $11.27 million, while the pension contribution is rising from $7.66 million to $8.6 million.

The court branch is the only remaining group at double digits, at a proposed $19.7 million next year.

Council has scheduled several work sessions before its Dec. 12 budget adoption. If the increase is approved, the county tax bill on a $100,000 property would increase $11.95, from a total of $597.54 to $609.49.

“There is not one line item in the budget that will be overlooked,” council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck said of the upcoming review.

Council will start Tuesday with a review of the district attorney’s office and operational services division budgets.

The district attorney’s budget is proposed at $4.5 million, with a spending increase of $161,287.

The proposal includes funding for three assistant district attorneys — two at $43,000 and one at $30,000. Pedri said the additional staffing was requested due to the new central court, which requires prosecutors to get involved in criminal cases sooner at the magisterial level.

“Assistant district attorneys did not have to attend all preliminary hearings before,” Pedri said.

Revenue

On the revenue side, the district attorney’s office is estimated to bring in $842,653 next year, an increase of $58,457.

Operational services covers several departments — engineering, road and bridge, emergency management, 911, the boiler plant, building and grounds and planning/zoning.

Unlike most, this division’s budget request is decreasing from $5.16 million to $4.6 million next year. Its revenue also is projected to decline, from $1.2 million to $839,600.

Real estate taxes are the largest revenue generator, budgeted at $112.79 million. The tax increase would bring in $2.1 million more, while another $700,000 is expected from the expiration of tax breaks and the addition of new construction and missed properties to the tax rolls.

In addition, the county is expected to continue receiving $9.1 million from back taxes, the proposal says.

Court branches will generate $8.7 million in revenue next year, it says.

Among the other major receipts projected for 2018, by department:

• Deeds, $2.05 million

• Prothonotary, $1.4 million

• Sheriff, $1.1 million, which includes fees from mortgage foreclosure sales, civil service and gun permits

• Assessor’s, $867,000, primarily from property parcel identification number certifications

Luzerne County Courthouse
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_luzerne-county-courthouse.jpg.optimal.jpgLuzerne County Courthouse

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

[email protected]

What’s next

The district attorney and operational services division budgets will be discussed at Tuesday’s Luzerne County Council budget work session, which starts at 5:30 p.m. at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.