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Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George has already spent 200 percent of travel budget

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Our view: Skrep should seek greater public role

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city ended the first quarter flush with cash and a positive fund balance of $9.1 million made up mainly of earned income and property tax payments.</p><p>Revenues as of March 31 amounted to $17.1 million compared to $8 million in expenses, according to a draft of the monthly financial report. The city is operating on a $47.1 million general fund budget.</p><p>The city collected $8.6 million in property taxes through the first quarter, or 74 percent, of the $11.7 million budgeted. It brought in 26 percent, or $3.3 million, of the $12.7 million budgeted for the earned income tax.</p><p>The March-ending balance jumped by approximately $4 million from the previous month. However, the balance would have been significantly lower had the expenses for the cleanup of the March 14 blizzard been included. The city is still in the process of calculating the costs for outside contractors, heavy equipment and dump trucks hired to cart away the nearly 2 feet of snow from the storm.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re figuring probably about $1 million,&#8221; Mayor Tony George said Monday. &#8220;That&#8217;s the full storm.&#8221;</p><p>Only $102,673 was budgeted for snow removal for the entire year, according to the March report.</p><p>The city submitted a total of $678,155, including overtime for city employees, for the most expensive 48 hours of cleanup to Luzerne County with the hope of receiving partial reimbursement from the federal government. The city&#8217;s numbers were passed on to the state. But even though Pennsylvania failed to meet its threshold set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it is still requesting emergency assistance.</p><p>George said if the city receives three quarters of what it submitted to FEMA, it would have to cover the balance of approximately $170,000 and another $300,000 in non-reimbursable costs.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s our best case scenario,&#8221; the mayor said.</p><p>Spending by departments varied from as low as 12.4 percent of the budget for Parks and Recreation to as high as 37.7 percent for Law. Most were within the 25 percent level for the quarter.</p><p><ins>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL011517George2.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"><factboxMeta><p>D.C. TRIP TAB</p><p>Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George&#8217;s office has a $1,000 budget for travel. However, as of March 31, it already spent $2,084, records show.</p><p>The mayor and his wife, Maureen, attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors 85th Winter Meeting at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 17 -19. A breakdown of expenses obtained through a Right-to-Know request showed:</p><p>&#8226; $1,641.63 for hotel, room tax and valet parking. The room cost $429 per day.</p><p>&#8226; $442.65 for mileage and per diem expenses. Mileage totaled $239.15, or 447 miles at 53.5 cents per mile.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre ends first quarter with $9.1 million balance