By Amanda O’Rourke
LEWISBURG — Commissioners in Union County hope to hold the line on taxes, but as Commissioner John Showers pointed out, this is a unique year in the county.
The deficit stood at about $700,000 in the $19.9 million proposed budget approved during a public session Tuesday, according to chief clerk Diana Robinson, but she said the deficit could be greater depending on as yet unconfirmed grant and state funding.
“It’s not unusual as we go from the proposed budget to the adopted budget (to have a deficit), and the commissioners are working to close that,” Robinson said.
The county got away with no tax increase for 2009 and no tax increase was included in the budget presented Tuesday.
Meetings are under way between the commissioners and county department heads to narrow the gap before the budget’s final approval on Dec. 31.
“Many years, we have been able to close the gap, but this is a unique year,” Showers said.
Among increased costs are capital improvements at the Mifflinburg borough building and the Union County Courthouse amounting to nearly $300,000.
Work will include $70,000 for a new roof on the borough building and $227,000 for painting and 72 new, energy-efficient windows at the courthouse, Commissioner Preston Boop said.
The county did not qualify for reimbursement for the windows under the federal recovery act, Boop said.
Other increases include a 16 percent jump in health care costs for county employees, from $1.6 million in 2009 to a projected $1.9 million in 2010, and a 48 percent increase in retirement contributions, from $186,000 in 2009 to an anticipated $360,000 in 2010, Robinson said.
“That’s a real struggle to cover that,” Showers said of increased health care costs.
County employees pay 20 percent toward their health care coverage with the county picking up the remaining 80 percent.
“We’re trying to keep that level,” Showers said.
Additionally, the county is looking at a potential loss of $40,000 in tax revenue due to several property tax appeals, Robinson said. They have sent the county’s typical 2 percent growth rate into the red.
Some savings has been achieved in staff attrition due to resignations and retirements, Robinson said.
-- E-mail comments to aorourke@dailyitem.com.
