No Tax Hike in 2015 for Clinton
LOCK HAVEN — The Clinton County Commissioners Thursday unveiled a proposed 2015 budget similar in size to the 2014 version, one that will keep the county real estate tax rate at 5.4 mills.
All three commissioners voted to present for public inspection a $31.7 million document. The budget will be posted for 20 days and the commissioners encouraged the public to raise any questions before final adoption next month. Board chairman Pete Smeltz said the budget will soon be available at the county website, final adoption set for Dec. 18.
Financial consultant Ed Zack made a brief presentation on the proposal, one he described as “pretty much flat-lined” from 2014.
The commissioners released a “budget narrative” which listed accomplishments in 2014 and “ever growing challenges” in 2015. It noted the county will for a third year in a row make a significant contribution to the county pension fund, something they said the previous board had not done. The county has maintained its AA-bond rating by Standard & Poor’s, the highest rating available to counties, the commissioner release stating the rating was “the result of careful spending, debt restructuring and not relying on one time income sources to remain stable.”
Also Thursday the commissioners agreed to a plan which will see the cash contribution from the county solid waste authority cut significantly. The “host agreement” between the county and the authority will see the per ton fee for refuse at the county landfill go from $3 in 2014 to $1.50 in 2015. The commissioners said because of the change the county will receive $400,000 less next year but said a yet to be determined amount will made up with “in kind” services from the authority, citing authority assistance in proceeding with plans for a rails to trails project and some other recreational development.
The commissioners said the per ton fee agreement was amended for just 2015 with the expectation the amount will go back to $3 in 2016. Smeltz said the annual per ton fee to the county has ranged from 50 cents to $4 over the life of the solid waste authority. By assisting the authority next year, Smeltz said, it should help maintain waste disposal rates for county residents.
The commissioners said the cutback in dollars from the authority results from less refuse being deposited at the landfill due to a slowdown in Marcellus Shale gas field work.
On another topic, the commissioners said they have pared the candidates for county chief clerk to four from an original field of 18 applicants and the process of hiring a replacement for former chief clerk Amy Dicello should result in a new hire before the end of the year.
