Woman's Suit Alleges Lccc Sex Bias/ Former Administrator June Santo Protests
Raises Given To Male Colleagues While She Got Less. She Was Fired In March

Area Lions Rally At Lions Plains Pavilion

By IAN CAMPBELL Times Leader Correspondent
 Tuesday, November 29, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 9A 





WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Even with a $35-per-household rebate this year,
township officials still expect a near $70,000 surplus in their general fund
accounts in the 2006 year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Council gave the 2006 budget a second and final reading and passed it
unanimously at Monday's council meeting. The budget has no tax increases, said
Mayor Carl Kuren. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Real estate taxes remain unchanged at 25 mills. A mill is a $1 tax on every
$1000 of assessed property value. Real estate transfer taxes remain at 1
percent, earned income taxes at 1.25 percent, and sewer user fee at $84. The
EMS tax remains on the budget at $52 per year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kuren noted in his presentation the reason taxes were remaining stable was
a combination of departmental efforts to hold down spending and a determined
effort to obtain federal and state grants wherever possible. He noted that
2005 had seen more than $200,000 in grant funds for a number of purposes, from
playgrounds and recycling projects to fire equipment and four-wheel-drive
police cruisers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Budget figures indicate increased revenue from the mercantile tax, taking
account of new business that had opened in the township in 2005. Building and
zoning permits are expected to generate $200,000; special police services,
such as traffic control at Wachovia Arena, are expected to produce $300,000;
and a levy on ticket sales from the arena is expected to produce $300,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The budget had included a 20 percent increase in health costs and
"significant" increases in liability insurance costs, Kuren noted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His report pointed out at least 30 percent of police costs are reimbursed
by contracts with Wegmans, Crown America, operators of the Wyoming Valley
Mall, and the arena. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Township administrator Mike Revitt said the overall total surplus of
$70,000 confused some people, considering there was is a $649,712 surplus in
the sewer fund. However, the sewer fund surplus can be used only for sewer
projects; it is not available for general-fund spending. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

W-b Twp. Budget Ok'd; Residents Get $35 Back/ Council Passes A Spending Plan That Features A $70,000 Surplus In The General Fund.