Preliminary Clinton County 2024 budget shows half mill tax hike
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County property owners will be faced with a half mill hike in real estate taxes in 2024 if the county commissioners okay a preliminary budget unveiled on Thursday.
The commissioners offered no comment on the tax hike recommendation from the county’s financial consultant, Ed Zack from Susquehanna Accounting Services. Board chairman Miles Kessinger did say the proposed document will be on public display for 20 days before final adoption on Dec. 14 and “to see if any adjustments” can be made.
Zack said county revenue has decreased from 38 percent to 32 percent from this year to next. He said the 2024 proposal amounts to $55.4 million and is up some $2 million as expenses are up $2 million. Zack said while the county used reserve funds and federal monies to balance its budget the last three years, he “had to recommend a tax hike (for next year) to keep up with costs.” He proposed a half mill hike in the county real estate levy, from the current 6.2 mills to 6.7 mills for next year.
The county has increased its real estate millage, currently 6.2, once since 2016. That hike came in 2019 for the 2020 taxing year, increasing the levy from 6.0 to the present 6.2 mills.
Zack said in the present economic environment that counties are competing with private enterprise to find and keep employees. He said when workers can get “$15 at Sheetz” employers have no choice but to increase the pay of their employees and “you have to be competitive.” As a service provider, Zack said, almost 40 percent of the Clinton County budget goes to wages and benefits.
