Scranton, PA – Lackawanna County majority Commissioners Michael J. Washo and Corey D. O’Brien today released a 2010 tentative budget that includes no property tax increase.

Factors that impacted the 2010 budget include increasing employee health care costs, mandatory employee union contract wage increases, cuts in state human services funds and the state of the economy. The important features of the 2010 budget include no property tax increase; a reduction in force; one-time revenue sources utilized to offset expenses, which includes the anticipated sale of the Lackawanna County Health Care Center; and elimination of county position vacancies.

As indicated above, the Administration will continue to follow its primary financial policy articulated in 2008, which is demonstrating fiscal responsibility, restraint and management when facing the county’s financial challenges. The Administration’s adherence to this policy is evident in the fact that the 2010 budget is $2,041,093 less than the 2009 budget and 6 percent less than the adopted 2008 budget.

“We are proud that we are presenting our third budget with no property tax increase,” Commissioners O’Brien and Washo said. “This good news required making very difficult decisions, including a reduction of the county’s workforce and significant reductions in county expenses. Our challenge going forward is to continue doing more with less.”

Public hearings on the budget will be held as follows:

• Monday, October 19, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the Elmhurst Township Building
• Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. in the Taylor Borough Building
• Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room
• Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. in the Jessup Borough Building

 The County of Lackawanna’s 2010 Budget Message

 Lackawanna County 2010 General Fund Budget Summary

 Lackawanna County Capital Budgets Summary 2010-2014 Final

The Adobe PDF files listed above require Adobe Reader to view.
Click Here for more information about Adobe Reader.