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Council OKs $200K grant application to stabilize Wilkes-Barre’s finances

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Wet and mild: Warm winter predicted for much of the US

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212;The city&#8217;s general fund balance dropped by almost half last month as a result of payments into the five pension plans.</p><p>The draft financial report for September listed a balance of $5.39 million, a drop of $5.02 million from the previous month.</p><p>Three quarters into the year revenues totalled $38.55 million compared to $33.16 million in expenses, according to the draft report.</p><p>&#8220;We paid our (minimum municipal obligation),&#8221; said city Administrator Ted Wampole of the decrease.</p><p>The MMO is the smallest contribution that the state requires from Wilkes-Barre and other municipalities into their employee pension plans. The city paid a total of $5.56 million into its plans:</p><p>&#8226; $1,888,821 non-uniformed.</p><p>&#8226; $1,138,352 old police.</p><p>&#8226; $983,682 new police.</p><p>&#8226; $935,428 old fire.</p><p>&#8226;$617,672 new fire.</p><p>With the pension payment out of the way, the city still has a $3 million Tax Anticipation Note due and a total of $3.43 million in debt service payments to make before the end of year, according to the report.</p><p>The two service fees that were increased this year to balance the $49.46 million budget continued to lag behind projections.</p><p>The parking meter fee that was doubled to $2 an hour, brought in $556,576 or 55.66 percent of the $1 million budgeted.</p><p>The garbage bag fee performed better and generated $1.09 million in revenues or 67.21 percent of the $1.63 million budgeted.</p><p>Mayor Tony George scaled them back in his proposed $50.43 million balanced budget for 2019. He budgeted $750,000 in meter revenues and $1.6 million for the garbage bags.</p><p>Looking at expenses, overtime continued to climb in several departments.</p><p>Firefighting overtime rang in at $130,051, or 260 percent of the $50,000 budgeted amount.</p><p>Waste collection by the Department of Public Works totaled $145,383, or 194 percent of the budgeted amount of $75,000.</p><p>Overtime in those departments was adjusted upward to $150,000 in next year&#8217;s proposed budget. Wampole said the adjustments were based on current trends.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wampole </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Ted-Wampole-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wampole </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>

Wilkes-Barre’s budget balance drops due to pension payments