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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The clock won&#8217;t be running when people comment at the upcoming public hearing about Mayor Tony George&#8217;s proposed $47.9 million balanced budget for next year.</p><p>City Council Chairman Bill Barrett said the existing rules for public participation will be waived at the hearing set for 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at City Hall. There will not be a 5-minute limit for public comment and people will not be required to sign in ahead of time.</p><p>&#8220;We will be here as long as it takes,&#8221; Barrett said at the council&#8217;s regularly scheduled public meeting Thursday night. He also requested the mayor attend and speak first about his proposed spending plan that includes a 30-mill property tax increase.</p><p>The mayor does not attend council meetings and instead sends his senior staff and department heads. City administrator Ted Wampole said the mayor and department heads will attend the budget hearing.</p><p>The mayor&#8217;s proposal bumps up the millage rate to 151.6 mills and raises approximately $2.4 million in new revenues. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value. At his budget address last week, the mayor said the added millage would increase the tax on an $80,000 house, the average price in the city, by approximately $18 a month or $216 a year.</p><p>Barrett supported the suggestion made by resident Angel Jirau that the &#8220;City Hall for a Day&#8221; program be implemented at &#8220;an appropriate venue&#8221; in the city if City Hall is not closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. The holiday will be brought up during contract negotiations with three of the four unions representing city workers, Wampole said.</p><p>The &#8220;City Hall for a Day&#8221; program &#8212; designed to bring officials into closer touch with neighborhood concerns &#8212; involves officials who work in City Hall setting up shop for a day at some other public venue within the city, such as a fire station or school.</p><p>In regular business, the council approved:</p><p>&#8226; The installation of a permanent four-way stop sign at the intersection of Hanover, South Franklin and Oregon streets.</p><p>&#8226; The installation of a permanent four-way stop sign at the intersection of Firwood and Horton streets.</p><p>&#8226; Vacating an unnamed private alley and conveying it to Sphere International LLC, the developer of a proposed $28 million hotel/conference center at the intersection of South Main and West Northampton streets.</p><p>&#8226; The transfer to Sphere International LLC parcels of unimproved land at 55-55&#189;, 57-59 and 61 S. Main St. donated by the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority for the construction of the hotel/conference center.</p><p>&#8226; Changing the traffic pattern on West Maple and West Linden streets, making them two-way between North Franklin and North Main streets until Jan. 1, 2018, for the construction of a vertical addition to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. In addition, parking will only be allowed on the north side of West Maple Street and the south side of West Linden Street during the construction.</p><p>&#8226; Authorizing the city to apply for a $340,000 grant through the PA Small Water and Sewer Program from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for improvements to the sanitary sewer system in the Solomon Creek area.</p><p>&#8226; A request that the Traffic Committee determine what can be done to slow down traffic on West River Street in order to address the potential risk of motor vehicle accidents.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_WB-City-logo-9.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_George_Tony_mug-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_George_Tony_mug-cmyk.jpg</photo1><caption1>George </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_Barrett_Bill-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Barrett </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_Barrett_Bill-cmyk.jpg</photo2><caption2>Barrett </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Mayor expected to attend, address proposed tax hike</subheadMeta></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>

Public hearing set for Wilkes-Barre’s proposed 2017 budget; mayor to attend