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Trustee Associates Award presented

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Man killed in ATV crash in Butler Township on Saturday

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city council is next to act on Mayor Tom Leighton&#8217;s proposed $51.5 million balanced budget for 2016.</p><p>The council has set a public hearing on the budget for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at City Hall.</p><p>The process follows the one spelled out in the city charter and began with the mayor presenting his general fund budget and address by Oct. 15. The council must hold a public hearing no later than Dec. 1. If there are no changes, the council must adopt the budget by the end of the year.</p><p>If the council amends the budget by more than 5 percent, it goes back to the mayor who will then have three days to resubmit it to the council. The council must then schedule a public hearing within five days after the mayor&#8217;s resubmission of his budget. If the council fails to adopt a budget, the last one submitted by the mayor becomes the new budget.</p><p>Because there will be a new mayor and new council members in January, the charter allows for further action on the budget. Mayor-elect Tony George can submit an amended budget to the council comprised of newly-elected members Mike Belusko, Tony Brooks and Beth Gilbert and incumbents Bill Barrett and Mike Merritt. The council then has a deadline of Feb. 15 to act on the budget.</p><p>Leighton delivered his budget on time last month, announcing no property tax increase. His proposal was $7.1 million higher than this year&#8217;s budget, largely as a result of refinancing of long-term debt.</p><p>If the budget is adopted as is, the millage rate would remain at 121.63 mills. A mill is $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. A property assessed at $1,000 would have an annual tax bill of $121.63. The city assesses property differently than other municipalities and school districts in Luzerne County as Wilkes-Barre chose to use its own assessments rather than switch to the new figures after a county-wide reassessment.</p><p>Property tax revenue remains relatively flat, increasing by $52,889 next year to $10.15 million from $10.09 million. Revenue from the city&#8217;s 3-percent earned income tax increases by $830,000 to $12.7 million from $11.87 million. The EIT is the city&#8217;s largest revenue source.</p><p>The debt refinancing will add $5.47 million in revenue next year, as opposed to $0 this year. Correspondingly, the debt service increases to $10.43 million in 2016 from the current expense of $4.96 million.</p><p>Other significant year-over-year increases in revenue include:</p><p>&#8226; $500,000 in building inspections to $1.1 million from $600,000</p><p>&#8226; $250,000 in collection of delinquent magistrate fines to $250,000 from $0</p><p>&#8226; $225,000 in parking violations to $450,000 from $225,000</p><p>&#8226; $600,000 in the sale of city-owned property to $1 million from $400,000.</p><p>Leighton did not include a pay increase for the office next year, maintaining it at $84,779. The city council members&#8217; pay will remain the same at $13,199 annually. The chairman receives a higher rate of $14,699 a year.</p><p>Other city employees, both unionized and non-unionized, will receive a 3-percent increase, Leighton said. The city must pay the raises under the terms of its collective bargaining agreements, the mayor said.</p><p>Salaries and benefits totalled $31.64 million or 61.47 percent of next year&#8217;s budget. This year, salaries and benefits totalled $30.61 million or approximately 69 percent of the $44.37 million budget.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Leighton </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL101515wbbudget1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Leighton </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Public Meeting on Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s 2016 proposed budget</p><p>When: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17</p><p>Where: City Council chambers, fourth floor, City Hall, 40 E. Market St., Wilkes-Barre</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre City Council will hold public meeting on Mayor Leighton’s proposed $51.5 million budget