Centre County Commissioners okay another no-tax-hike budget

BELLEFONTE, PA – This is the week for local county government to approve 2022 operating budgets. The Centre County Commissioners on Tuesday approved that county’s 2022 fiscal blueprint and the Clinton County Commissioners are slated to do likewise on Thursday of this week.

The Centre County budget amounts to over $107 million and, for the 12th straight year, the real estate millage will remain at 7.84 mills. The Centre Commissioners gave their unanimous approval to a budget unchanged from its introduction on Dec. 7.

The Centre budget jumped more than 31% from 2021, primarily due to pandemic relief funding. Centre County officials said nonunion employees will see a pay increase equivalent to $1 an hour; the exception emergency communications tele-communicators who will receive a greater hike. Centre union workers are to receive a contractually approved 4% increase.

The Clinton County Commissioners at their meeting this Thursday are to give final approval to a 2022 document calling for real estate taxes to remain unchanged for the second year in a row. As introduced earlier this month, the Clinton budget amounts to $43.9 million.

The Clinton commissioners are to meet Thursday at 10 a.m. at the county Piper Building.