Lock Haven Taxes Could Inch Up in 2014
from staff reports
LOCK HAVEN—Not so fast, city property owners!
A few weeks back it appeared Lock Haven real estate taxes would remain unchanged in 2014, a budget unveiling which prompted Mayor Rick Vilello to state at the time “we’ll be okay” in avoiding a tax hike in the new year.
But that was November and this is December. City council Monday night unanimously approved an $11 million budget on first reading, one that calls for no tax increase, but that could change by a second reading on Dec. 16.
Information Monday showed the city now facing a $193,000 shortfall as the 2014 document is presently written. That number is worse than the $160,000 deficit the city faced in November.
Vilello this week told The Record that December is historically a good month in terms of budget balancing and he “expects the picture to be better” but he was not ruling out a small tax increase.
City real estate taxes had been unchanged for 2013 after a 10 percent hike in 2012.
Meanwhile city staff and council will continue to try to trim away the projected $193,000 deficit; council has scheduled a budget work session for next Monday at 4 p.m. at City Hall.
