Lock Haven to See Changes in the New Year: City Council Adopts 2024 Budget, Increases Real Estate Taxes, and Approves Amended Fire Department Ordinance
By Emily Wright
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Lock Haven residents can expect to see some changes in the city’s budget for the upcoming year, as Lock Haven City Council members voted to adopt the 2024 budget at Monday evening’s meeting. The budget passed by majority vote, with four council members in favor and three in opposition.
The 2024 budget outlines the specific amounts that will be allocated for various expenses and expenditures for the city’s municipal government.
According to the ordinance passed by the City Council, a total of $14,986,227 will be appropriated from different sources such as equities, revenues, and other financing sources for the fiscal year of 2024. This includes:
-$6,257,490 for the General Fund
-$4,381,146 for the Water Fund
-$3,833,839 for the Sewer Fund
-$282,897 for the Airport Fund
-$230,855 for the Liquid Fuels Fund
With this budget in place, the city will be able to cover necessary expenses and continue providing essential services to its residents. Any conflicting ordinances have been repealed to ensure the smooth implementation of this budget.
The ordinance was first introduced on its first reading on November 27, 2023, and then adopted on its second reading at the City Council meeting Monday evening. Lock Haven residents can expect to see the impact of this budget in the coming weeks, as it will officially take effect on January 1, 2024.
Council members who voted in favor of passing the 2024 budget were Barbara Masorti, Richard Morris, Richard Conklin, and Vice President Steve Stevenson. In opposition were council members Doug Byerly, Jeffery Brinker, and Mayor Joel Long.
The City Council also passed the real estate tax rate for 2024. This decision was made through a majority vote and will impact all real property subject to taxation within the city. The tax rate will be split into two categories: 29.0 mills for each dollar of assessed valuation for general purposes on land, and 7.5 mills for each dollar of assessed valuation for general purposes on buildings and improvements. This ordinance repeals any conflicting ordinances and with final adoption on December 18, 2023, it will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
In favor of the 2024 real estate tax rate increase were council members Richard Conklin, Richard Morris, Barbara Masorti, Vice President Steve Stevenson, and Mayor Joel Long. In opposition were council members Doug Byerly and Jeffery Brinker.
Last, council members voted to approve Ordinance No. 2023-14 of the Lock Haven City Code, which pertains to the Fire Department. Before the call for the vote, Vice President Stevenson suggested one final change be made to the verbiage contained within the “Duties and Responsibilities” article of the ordinance. “I applaud the fire advisory board and everybody that was involved in the revision. I’m glad they came to some compromise; sometimes things are not 100%, and sometimes you have to give or take,” Stevenson said. “I only saw one place that I suggest adding [the words] ‘city-owned’ in Article II, Section C: ‘The Fire Chief shall directly visit the two companies of the Fire Department and see that the (city-owned) apparatus, buildings, and all property in possession of the two companies are in proper condition.” Stevenson mentioned that the words “city-owned” were used throughout the ordinance and that he felt it necessary to include that specification for the purposes of inspection. “I’ll move that we pass the ordinance with that one change,” Stevenson said.
With no questions or comments, council members agreed on Stevenson’s suggestion to add that the fire department’s apparatus, buildings, and all other property of the two companies are city-owned, and the ordinance was passed by unanimous vote.
