Commissioners give final approval to 2022 budget; tax levy unchanged

LOCK HAVEN – The Clinton County Commissioners have approved a 2022 budget and real estate taxes will remain unchanged for the second year in a row. The action was unanimously approved by the commissioners at their voting session Thursday morning. They offered little comment as it took them about a minute to approve the budget and a companion resolution establishing the county real estate millage.

Board chairman Miles Kessinger said the commissioners had received a few questions about the document after it was posted earlier this month.

The budget amounts to $43.9 million, compared to $41.3 million for 2021. At the time of its unveiling earlier in December, commissioner Jeff Snyder called the document “fiscally responsible during difficult and trying times.”

He said then that the increase in the budget was due to a number of factors, including higher wages, health benefits, contracts funding human services and county infrastructure. He said there is a decrease in incoming COVID-related revenue and the county is still able to maintain its 10 percent general fund reserve balance.

The board vote on the tax resolution means the county real estate millage will remain at 6.2 mills. The county has had only one real estate tax increase since 2016. That came in 2019 for the 2020 fiscal year, the figure going from 6.0 to the current 6.2 mills.