North Allegheny shows strength in PIAA boys swimming prelims

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Police: Suspect broke into house, slept on couch, left

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city ended February with a surplus of approximately $2.8 million, thanks to a tax anticipation note secured to carry it over for the first few months of this year until revenues pick up.Including the $3 million TAN, revenues totaled approximately $6.6 million while expenses amounted to $3.8 million, according to the monthly financial report from Mayor Tony George. However, without the loan, revenues totaled approximately $3.6 million and, when compared to expenses, the city would have been operating with a deficit of nearly $215,000.Revenues have been coming in, but the city got off to a slow start sending out property tax bills, George said Wednesday.&#8220;We waited three weeks trying to get the budget,&#8221; he said.<a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/511813/wilkes-barre-council-says-no-to-property-tax-hike-but-mayor-george-still-looking-at-cuts-to-balance-budget" target="_blank">City council rejected</a> George&#8217;s attempt to raise property taxes by 25 mills to cover shortfalls from what he argued were unrealistic revenue projections in the $51.5 million balanced budget from the previous office holder Mayor Tom Leighton. But George warned of possible layoffs and cuts if the projections fell short and expenses mounted.The city is waiting for a roughly $1.2 million bill from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for health insurance coverage for the first quarter of the year, George said. For the rest of the year, the bill will be approximately $400,000 a month, he added.&#8220;As long as the taxes keep coming in, we&#8217;ll be OK,&#8221; George said.But he was reluctant to let down his guard. &#8220;Everything has to fall in place,&#8221; he said. &#8220;May and June, I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going to happen.&#8221;According to the monthly report, the city collected $2.7 million from its 3-percent earned income tax as of Feb. 29, up slightly from the $2.5 million for February 2015 that was a day shorter due to it not being a leap year. This year, the city budgeted $12.7 million in EIT revenue and collections as of January and February amounted to approximately 22 percent of the total.Property tax collections totaled $294,114 or roughly 2.9 percent of the $10.1 million contained in this year&#8217;s budget. Collections as of the end of last month lagged behind the $3.1 million paid by the end of February 2015, according to the monthly report. The millage rate in the city is 121.63 mills, unchanged from last year. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property values.The largest share of expenditures for the city was for public safety, comprised of police and fire departments and building inspections. Together, they totaled $2.3 million or approximately 10 percent of the $23.5 million budgeted for the year, according to the monthly report.George anticipated a boost in revenues from the sale of city properties to developers of the proposed $28 million hotel and conference center downtown. Sphere International LLC will purchase the properties for $500,000, but the deal is structured with a payment of $250,000 the first year, followed by annual payments and a lump sum upon completion of the project, George said.&#8220;That&#8217;ll help,&#8221; he 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 @TLJerryLynott</shirttailMeta></div>

February financial report shows surplus for Wilkes-Barre City