Commissioners approve no-tax hike budget for 2023

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County property owners for the third year in a row will see their real estate levy remain unchanged in 2023. The county commissioners Thursday gave unanimous final approval to next year’s budget. It amounts to $53.3 million and keeps the real estate millage at 6.2 mills.

The commissioners said the budget was unchanged from that presented a month ago. Ed Zack from the county’s financial consultant Susquehanna Accounting Services at that time gave a brief overview. He said then that next year’s document is $10 million higher than this year, the jump attributed to $10 million in grants the county has received. He said $250,000 in “911” money from previous years has been used to offset local match grant requirements to obtain the $10 million.

The county has seen only one real estate tax hike since 2016; that came in 2019 for the 2020 calendar year and moved the real estate levy from 6.0 mills to the current 6.2 rate.

Also Thursday the commissioners accepted the resignation of Jennifer Hagaman as the county’s Veterans Affairs Director, her departure effective Jan. 20. Board chairman Miles Kessinger said she has taken a position with the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The commissioners wished her well in her new post and commissioner Jeff Snyder said the county will be advertising to secure her replacement.