Lock Haven Budget 2015 Continues under Review

LOCK HAVEN – Budget time and the refrain remains the same for the City of Lock Haven: there is a lot of paring to do and even with that, a tax increase could result in 2015.

City council is pondering the $4.1 million dollar budget presented by city manager Rich Marcinkevage and Monday night approved on first reading a tax ordinance which would keep the 2015 levels the same as 2014.

But city officials were quick to caution the city real estate millage could go up upon final adoption next month. The reason is a $300,000 deficit that has to be erased or covered by the first of next year.

Mayor Rick Vilello said there are a number of reasons for the red ink at this stage of the budget process. The one the city is investigating is a loss of $850,000 in the city’s overall assessed value. He said city officials will be in touch with the county assessment office to see if that number might be in error.

The city is also facing a $95,000 hike in pension costs for the new year and unless city administrators can work some magic between budget introduction and the new year, city taxpayers will be looking at a real estate tax hike for a fourth year in a row.