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RNC: On the issues: Immigration

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RNC: On the issues: Foreign policy

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city has taken in more than it has spent as of mid year, but it&#8217;s what lies ahead that concerns Mayor Tony George.</p><p>The city&#8217;s draft financial report for June shows it collected $25.9 million in revenues and paid out $17.6 million for expenses, leaving a balance of roughly $8.3 million. That equates to half of the revenue and 34 percent of the expenses in the $51.5 million balanced budget.</p><p>Those numbers will change in the coming months when millions of dollars of payments for the city&#8217;s long term debt and pension contributions come due, a worry for George &#8212; especially when some of the line item revenues have been lackluster at best.</p><p>The city&#8217;s long-term debt service totals $10.4 million this year and approximately 16 percent or $1.7 million has been paid as of June 30. On top of that, the city owes $3 million on a tax anticipation note &#8212; due by the end of the year &#8212; and more than $4 million in pension payments, according to the monthly financial report.</p><p>The two largest revenue sources, property and earned income taxes, have been steadily productive and the city can count on collecting most of the combined $22.8 million budgeted for both. But as of the end of last month, the collections for delinquent taxes haven&#8217;t come close to what&#8217;s been budgeted.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a big concern, a real big concern,&#8221; George said Tuesday.</p><p>Just $6,437 in delinquent business privilege taxes &#8212; or roughly 2 percent of the $350,000 line item revenue &#8212; has been collected, according to the monthly financial report. Only $14,324 of the $100,000 in delinquent recycling fees have been collected. None of the $350,000 in delinquent magistrates fines has been brought in.</p><p>The $225,212 collected for the sale of city property also is well short of the $1 million budgeted. Another $250,000 is expected from the sale of several parcels for a proposed $28 million hotel/conference center on the corner of South Main and West Northampton streets. The deal calls for the developer to pay half of the $500,000 sale price up front and $50,000 each year for the next five years.</p><p>When he took office in January, George asked the city council to amend the budget left to him by outgoing Mayor Tom Leighton. George argued there was no historical data to support the numbers Leighton included for the delinquent fines, fees and taxes.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why I asked for that tax increase,&#8221; George said of the 25 mills he initially wanted but later dropped to 20 mills. The city council opposed George&#8217;s budget amendments.</p><p>The millage rate in the city is 121.63 mills. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL050416tony-george1-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>George </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"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Looming debt payments and pension contributions worry Mayor Tony George