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No tax increase for Lycoming County property owners

Lycoming County commissioners voted to approve the county’s 2022 budget, holding the real estate tax rate for county residents at 6.50 mills. Property owners will now pay $650 per $100,000 of their property’s assessed value in taxes to the county.

In introducing a motion to approve the budget, which has been on display for over 20 days, Brandy Clemens, the county’s director of budget and finance, told the commissioners that although there were no changes to the revenue of $110.1 million, expenditures increased by $2,498,164 since the budget was first introduced.

Of the total increase, $2,481,850 can be attributed to 2021 capital and inventory purchases, which are being deferred to 2022 because of project delays and product availability, Clemens told the commissioners. She added that 95% of the deferred projects are funded by bond proceeds or grants.

Other changes in expenditures include: an increase of $11,454 in the district attorney’s salary to reflect the state published increase for 2022; an additional cellphone stipend of $660; $7,200 in rent for the central processing center, which is covered by fees collected; and $15,000 for the West Branch Firemen’s Association, which is covered by gas impact fees. Trial costs decreased by $18,000 due to the defendant pleading guilty.

These adjustments bring total expenditures for 2022 to $129,957,792.

Because expenditures were deferred to next year, that decreases the 2021 budget.

“We’ll see a large savings and most likely a surplus at the end of this year,” Clemens said. She noted that the county should end the year with a fund balance of $32,438,738 due to the deferred expenditures.

“There are a lot of goods we have on order. We just can’t seem to get them and I don’t know how much this will carry over into the next year as well,” she explained.

“It’s going to be tough the next year or so trying to come up with an exact figure for the budget with the supply chain issues that are currently going on,” Clemens added.

In other actions, the commissioners approved a telemental health services agreement with Array Behavioral Care for psychiatric services at the Lycoming County Prison.

A proposal and sales agreement with Supply Source was given the OK by the commissioners. The agreement provides for office furniture in various county offices at a cost of $102,000.

The county’s communications, including internet, will be provided by Windstream Communications at a cost of $4,400 per month following approval of an amendment to an agreement with the company. This agreement reflects a cost savings of $567 and is a 2022 budgeted item.

An affordable housing funds agreement with Sojourner Truth Ministries Inc. was OK’d at $21,330 for rehabilitating a property at 665 Center St.

The commissioners approved the following appointments and re-appointments, all beginning Jan. 1: Nicoya Catino, Lycoming County Housing Authority, 5-year term; Donald Hepburn, John Schon, Daryl Krotzer, Lycoming County Agriculture and Land Preservation Board, 4-year terms; Chase Kelch, Denise Reis, Lycoming County Planning Commission Board, 4-year term; and Dan Clark, Lycoming County Zoning Hearing Board, 4-year term.

The next commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, first floor, Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.

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