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Abiatal Avelino’s single leads SWB RailRiders past Buffalo Bisons

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Soldier, teacher, doctor: Kingston native named Tillman scholar

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city&#8217;s budget balance shrunk by a little more than $1 million in June as expenses increased more than revenues, according to a draft of the monthly financial report.</p><p>Revenues as of June 30 increased by $2.4 million from the previous month to $27.7 million, but expenses rose by $3.4 million to $18.3 million. The city&#8217;s balance &#8212; still in the black &#8212; dropped to $9.3 million from $10.3 million in May, according to the report.</p><p>The city is operating on a $47.1 million balanced budget. Typically, the city accumulates a monthly balance in the first half of the year when most of the tax revenues are collected for the general fund. When big-ticket expenses such as debt service for long-term borrowing are paid during the second half, the balance dwindles.</p><p>At the end of six months, the city collected $10.9 million or 93 percent of the $11.7 million budgeted for property taxes, according to the report. Earned income taxes amounted to $6.6 million or 52 percent of the $12.7 million budgeted.</p><p>The collections exceeded the totals for the same period last year. But it should be noted that property tax revenues are going to be higher because the city raised the millage rate.</p><p>As of June 30, the city paid approximately $1.8 million or a little more than a third of its $5.2 million debt service, according to the report.</p><p>Mayor Tony George has said the city is facing a financial hardship and is likely to show a deficit after racking up approximately $1 million in unbudgeted expenses to clean up after the March blizzard. His administration has been unsuccessful in its attempts to secure federal aid to cover a portion of cleanup costs.</p><p>Some of those expenses are showing up months later as overtime and double time wages because that&#8217;s when they were paid, said city Administrator Ted Wampole.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s finally hitting the actual budget,&#8221; Wampole said Friday.</p><p>According to the June draft report, several departments exceeded their budgeted amounts:</p><p>&#8226; Ambulance Services emergency overtime &#8212; $12,389 or 165 percent of the $7,500 budgeted.</p><p>&#8226; Waste Collection overtime &#8212; $47,093 or 117 percent of the $40,000 budgeted.</p><p>&#8226; Waste Collection double time &#8212; $632 or 157 percent of the $500 budgeted.</p><p>&#8226; Police special detail service overtime &#8212; $12,955 or 652 percent of the $2,000 budgeted.</p><p>Wampole said the administration has notified department heads about the overtime costs. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been addressing that with every department to get that under control,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The draft report showed the city administrator&#8217;s department exceeded its budget for contracted services by approximately $33,000 or 1,015 percent of the $3,600 line item expense. Wampole said it&#8217;s a legal bill related to the sewer authority created in 2015.</p><p>&#8220;That was from the prior administration,&#8221; Wampole noted.</p><p>Attorney Jens Damgaard of Rhoads &amp; Sinon LLP in Harrisburg submitted a bill for approximately $31,000.</p><p>The administration hired PFM Financial Advisor Services LLC to determine the value of the city&#8217;s sewer conveyance system for possible sale. Under the terms of the agreement with PFM, it won&#8217;t be paid unless the sale goes through.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_WB-City-logo-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_WB-City-logo-3.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL031517Snow10.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The March snowstorm that hit the area left cars buried, as seen here on South River Street in Wilkes-Barre. 
Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL031517Snow10.jpg</photo1><caption1>The March snowstorm that hit the area left cars buried, as seen here on South River Street in Wilkes-Barre. 
Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></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>

Wilkes-Barre’s budget balance decreases as snow-cleanup expenses paid