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WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city ended the first 10 months of 2015 with a surplus and most of the departments spending within their budget, according to the most recent finance report.However, the $1.38 million surplus as of Oct. 31 was less than half the $3.17 million reported last year for the same period.The figures were contained in the monthly financial status report Mayor Tom Leighton provided to the city controller as required by the city charter. He must list the status of all revenues and expenditures and a balance sheet of the general fund to the controller by the 15th day of each month. The report then goes to city council.Brett Kittrick, the city&#8217;s finance officer, said capital improvements would account for a big portion of the year-to-year difference in the surplus.&#8220;Revenues and expenses will continue to change until the end of our accrual periods. Various current-year revenue and expense items extend months into the following year. That is how the budget is done so to get a true picture of 2015 we&#8217;ll have to wait until 2016,&#8221; he said in an email Monday.Last year council approved Leighton&#8217;s $42.77 million balanced budget. But the city reported actual year-end revenues of $51.03 million and expenses of $50.71 million for a $320,317 surplus.A month into the fourth quarter this year, revenues were $35.88 million or 80.89 percent of the budgeted amount of $44.36 million. On the other side of the balance sheet expenses were $34.50 million or 77.77 percent of the total.The city&#8217;s largest share of revenue comes from taxes. It collected $23.81 million or 88.97 percent of the $26.76 million budgeted this year. The collected amount was $9,256 more than what was brought in for the same period last year.Licenses and permits generated $1.31 million or 83.20 percent of the $1.57 million budgeted. By comparison it exceeded last year&#8217;s total by $58,986.Charges for services raised $3.70 million or 69.52 percent of the $5.32 million budgeted. It was $199,834 more than last year&#8217;s figure.The city collected $487,009 or 103.1 percent of the $472,800 budgeted for fines. It exceeded last year&#8217;s total by $157,488.However, two expense categories exceeded the budgeted amount. Another approached its budget limit.General government expenses were $7.40 million or 121.18 percent of the $6.11 million budgeted. The total was $1.78 million more than in 2014.Likewise, Parks &amp; Recreation was $850,744 or 101.50 percent of the $838,171 budgeted. But it was $43,224 less than what was spent last year.Highways and Streets spending was at $4.71 million or 93.09 percent of the $5.06 million budgeted. Last year&#8217;s expenses were $170,660 less.Kittrick acknowledged this year&#8217;s figure would rise with crews being called out for snow removal as winter approaches.&#8220;Highways and Streets expenses will most likely exceed the budget amount this year,&#8221; he said.The city spent $19.06 million or 83.58 percent of the $22.80 million budgeted for Public Safety. It was $1.55 million higher than last year.At the opposite end of the spending scale, the city paid 24.39 percent of its debt service and less than 1 percent of the $3 million Tax Anticipation Note taken out in the beginning of the year to cover expenses while the city waited for tax revenues to come in.The city budgeted $4.96 million for debt service payments, but paid $1.20 million by the end of October. Last year it paid $8.28 million.The majority of the annual debt service was due by Nov. 15 and Kittrick said those payments were made. The remaining monthly and quarterly payments will be paid when they come due, he said.Just $5,400 of the TAN borrowing was paid for this year compared to $4,750 last year.&#8220;The TAN payment is due on Dec. 31st. We&#8217;ll most likely cut the check sometime that week,&#8221; Kittrick said.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jerry Lynottjlynott@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre operating with surplus through October