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Unless shaving here and there yields results, Luzerne County Council members face a potentially distasteful menu of options to avoid a 2016 tax hike.Last year a council majority averted a proposed 4-percent hike by eliminating a popular homestead tax break for 86,300 owner-occupied residents so the $4.7 million from that program could be used for operating expenses.County Manager Robert Lawton has proposed an 8-percent tax increase in 2016 &#8212; 7 percent to cover $7.2 million in rising expenses and 1 percent to put an additional $1.05 million toward the county&#8217;s remaining $13.1 million deficit.He presented the following alternatives to the council:&#8226; Eliminate the $1.05 million toward the deficit, which would reduce the hike to 7 percent.The county won&#8217;t have a reserve with actual money in it until the deficit is wiped from the books. Without the $1.05 million, the deficit is set to be cleared in 2017, using revenue from the homestead, the pending $2 million sale of the former Valley Crest Nursing Home in Plains Township and $2 million in surplus funds from an expired infrastructure tax diversion program.&#8226; Use $4.7 million from the homestead for operating expenses.A council majority had promised to use this money to help build a reserve in 2016 and 2017. Using it for operating expenses again would slow the plan to get the county out of the red.&#8226; Enact a $5 fee on annual vehicle registrations to generate $1.5 million.Some council members have blasted the fee, saying it would put an additional burden on residents, particularly those with multiple vehicles. Others say the fee would force more residents who don&#8217;t own property to share in the cost of county government.&#8226; Seek a cash advance on back taxes owed to the county, which would garner as much as $6 million.County officials have stopped depending on such infusions because they are one-time fixes that come with fees and reduce future receipts from delinquent taxes.&#8226; Reconsider $1.75 million in discretionary funding for outside agencies, including public libraries, transportation authorities and the Penn State Extension office.Council members chose to keep such allocations intact last year after complaints that cuts would hurt these outside agencies, possibly leading to closures.&#8226; Assume a specific dollar amount of salary savings based on historic job vacancy rates.County Councilman Stephen J. Urban recently pointed out that delays filling positions may create an unwarranted cushion in the budget. However, Lawton cautioned that factoring a vacancy rate into budgets may force the administration to hold off on filling needed positions.&#8226; Include an anticipated $700,000 year-end 2015 surplus in next year&#8217;s budget.Lawton said he is confident spending will be less than revenue by this dollar amount, but that won&#8217;t be confirmed before the Dec. 15 home rule charter budget adoption deadline.He did not propose layoffs in the options as he did last year due to concerns about the impact on services with further cuts.Based on last year&#8217;s discussion, an estimated 120 employees must be furloughed to save $4 million. Layoffs would be limited to certain departments that already have sustained workforce reductions in recent years because the county can&#8217;t jeopardize public safety, Lawton has said. Positions in human services and some other offices are funded primarily by the state, which means staffing cuts in these areas would not help the general fund operating budget, he has said.Council also has the power to knock $700,000 off the rising expenses by halting Lawton&#8217;s proposed raises for 119 non-union workers who are compensated below industry standards based on an outside analysis. Non-union workers outside court branches have not received pay increases in seven years.Attainable efficienciesLawton told the council his administration will continue implementing attainable efficiencies recommended in a recent five-year financial recovery plan.&#8220;County staff at every level appreciates the gravity of our situation and the need to tighten down the gap. I am confident we will succeed. We look forward to supporting the council as the budget process moves toward adoption,&#8221; he wrote in an attachment to the budget posted at www.luzernecounty.org.An 8 percent hike, the maximum allowed annually under the home rule charter, would require the owner of a $100,000 property to pay $46 more, for a new total bill of $620.52.The general fund operating budget, which is primarily fueled by local real estate taxes, would increase from $130.2 million to $138.5 million with Lawton&#8217;s proposal.When state funding and other revenue streams are factored in, total spending on county government departments is slated to rise from $267 million to $294.4 million.The human services division tops the list, with spending increasing from $90.3 million to $112.9 million. That total includes budgets for Children and Youth, Aging, Drug and Alcohol, Mental Health and Veteran Affairs in addition to administration.Among other budget totals proposed from this year to 2016:&#8226; District attorney&#8217;s office, $5.25 million to $5.4 million&#8226; Controller&#8217;s office, $355,541 to $341,948&#8226; Courts, $27.8 million to $28.6 million, which includes district judge offices, domestic relations and probation&#8226; Prison system, $31.3 million to $34.2 million&#8226; Budget/Finance (including assessment), $6.7 million to $6.3 million&#8226; Public defender&#8217;s office, $2.7 million to $3.1 million&#8226; Debt repayments, $28.6 million to $26 million&#8226; Solicitor&#8217;s office (including conflict counsel), remains around $2.2 million&#8226; Operational services, $33.1 million to $30.7 million, including planning/zoning, building and grounds, 911, security, emergency management, road and bridge and engineering&#8226; Administrative services, $23.7 million to $24.2 million, including human resources, elections, mapping/GIS, purchasing, information technology, community development, tourism and property and other insurance.&#8226; Judicial services, $5.9 million to $5.8 million, which covers the civil and criminal court records offices, coroner, sheriff, deeds and wills<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jennifer Learn-Andesjandes@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County Council faces range of options to avoid 8-percent tax hike