City of Lock Haven: No Tax Increase Budget Approved

LOCK HAVEN — It took City Council all of five minutes to go through the public hearing and voting process for a 2017 budget for Lock Haven. Based on council’s unanimous vote tonight, for the second year in a row, city real estate taxes will remain unchanged in the new year.

City Manager Rich Marcinkevage a week ago presented city council with a recommended budget amounting to $11.14 million, keeping real estate taxes and water and sewer rates unchanged in the new year; council gave a first round approval tonight without comment.

There was no public comment at the public hearing portion of the council agenda, although earlier in the meeting Clinton County SPCA board member Al Lugg and humane officer Kevin Cierpilowski asked council to consider an increase in the city allocation to the SPCA for next year.

As part of the budget process, a second public hearing will be held Dec. 19 before final adoption. Tonight’s regular meeting was followed by a work session to discuss fire, levee and on-and-off street parking budgets for the next year.

Next year will be the second year in a row without a tax hike in the city. This year was the first in five years council did not boost the property tax. The four year run of tax hikes topped out at 14.6 percent for 2015. At the time the city said that jump should preclude the need for any increases over the next several years.