Carbon won’t have tax increase in 2019

Carbon County residents should not expect to see county real estate taxes rise in 2019.

On Thursday, the county commissioners voted to accept the proposed $62.7 million spending plan, which calls for holding the millage rate at 10.25.

That means that the owner of a home assessed at $50,000 will again pay $512.50 in county real estate taxes next year.

The 2019 spending plan has three components: The operating fund, $43,598,061 (up from $42,585,062 this year); capital projects, $16,400,986 (up from $11,090,784 this year); and special funds, $2,790,753 (down from $2,791,157 this year).

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the $5.3 million hike in the capital projects budget is due to the proposed office building project on Susquehanna Street, the multiuse fire training center and new voting machines.

Other big ticket items, the commissioners outlined, include a new video security system at the prison, which is anticipated to cost $138,000; $14 million in employee salaries; $6.4 million in employee benefits; $5.4 million for the prison operations and $700,000 in contributions to the employee retirement fund.

“Those are the huge numbers that drive the budget all the time,” Commissioner William O’Gurek said of the personnel figures.

One of the problems with balancing a budget, Nothstein said is that court cases have skyrocketed, meaning prison populations increase and the housing market has not kept up, meaning less revenue from taxes are anticipated.

“We are only projecting $12,000 more in tax revenue over last year,” Nothstein said.

Jeff Weiss, the county’s financial consultant, said that to balance the budget, a $7 million bond issue that the county refinanced for capital projects that were outlined is included in the budget; as well as some departments are expected to have higher revenue.

Nothstein added crafting the annual spending plan is difficult because officials can’t foresee unanticipated expenses, such as equipment failures like recent issues with a generator and grinder system at the prison, nor can they foresee budget changes on the federal and state levels.

The proposed budget is now available for review at the county administration building, formerly the courthouse annex, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Dec. 12.

The commissioners will formally adopt the 2019 budget at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 13 during their weekly meeting.