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Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority’s term lapsed in 2008; city council votes to extend it for 50 years

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Plymouth Borough looking to revitalize Main Street

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The 10 unfilled vacancies in the fire department have affected the city&#8217;s finances, more and less, for the first quarter of this year and gotten the attention of Mayor Tony George.</p><p>The city paid $69,854 more in overtime and $242,351 less in salaries to firefighters as of March 31, compared to the same period last year, according to a draft of the quarterly financial report obtained by the Times Leader.</p><p>The mayor was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but City Administrator Rick Gazenski said there could be some relief in sight for the fire department.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s really thinking about it right now,&#8221; Gazenski said.</p><p>The department has been working with 53 firefighters despite 63 included in the mayor&#8217;s $50.4 million 2019 general fund budget. The mayor previously said he&#8217;s waiting for an arbitrator&#8217;s decision before making a decision on hiring new firefighters. The 2019 budget contained $3.4 million in salaries for firefighters.</p><p>Staffing was an issue in the May 21 Democratic primary won by former city councilman George Brown. He outpolled Mayor George, who was running for a second four-year term, in all 20 wards by an unofficial count of 2,800 to 884.</p><p>The draft report for the first three months of this year listed $669,788 in firefighters&#8217; salaries. Through March 31, 2018 the city paid $912,138 in salaries. Overtime for the quarter, on the other hand, amounted to $85,970 or 57.3 percent of this year&#8217;s budgeted $150,000. Last year the city paid $16,117 in OT for the quarter.</p><p>The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters also has been waiting for the arbitration and the mayor to fill the vacancies, said union vice president Jeremy Cook.</p><p>&#8220;That is absolutely what&#8217;s causing the overtime,&#8221; Cook said.</p><p>Unless a decision is made soon the overtime budget, that was tripled by the mayor from 2018, could be exceeded during the summer when firefighters take vacations that are scheduled four months in advance, Cook said.</p><p>Sick days and time off for injuries further add to the overtime because the department must have a minimum of 11 firefighters on each shift. Overtime compounds the problem of calling in extra firefighters for emergencies because the ranks have been diminished to begin with, Cook pointed out.</p><p>Overall, the report showed the city ended the quarter with a positive balance of $7.7 million, roughly $1.3 million less than the the $9 million posted for the same period in 2018. Revenues for the first quarter of this year were $16.6 million and expenses were $8.8 million.</p><p>The city collected $8.6 million or 75 percent of the $11.4 million budgeted in property taxes. It brought in $3.5 million or approximately 26 percent of the $13.8 million in earned income tax revenue. In addition, the city took out a $3 million tax anticipation note at the beginning of the year in order to operate until tax revenues came in.</p><p>On the expense side, the city paid $4 million in salaries and $2.8 million in benefits for the quarter. For the year, the city budgeted $18.8 million in salaries and $15.4 million in benefits that included pensions.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_TTL0510419Tony-George4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_TTL0510419Tony-George4-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>George </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_TTL120618Gazenski1.cmyk_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Gazenski </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_TTL120618Gazenski1.cmyk_.jpg</photo1><caption1>Gazenski </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 ends first quarter with positive balance of $7.7 million