City Looking at Tax Increase
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Anyone who's been paying attention to the state of the nation's – and the commonwealth's – economy probably saw something like this coming. City of Bradford taxpayers are looking at a 4.43 mill tax increase.
Mayor Tom Riel said, "Nobody missed the boat. Municipalities and governments all across the state are in trouble. All municipal governments are in the same boat."
Riel said the increase for a person who has a $40,000 home would be $160.
He said that next year timber revenues will be about half of what they were four years ago. Health care costs have doubled in the last five or six years, and they're looking at a 23 to 24 percent increase next year.
Riel also explained that because people aren't working, wage taxes are down. Mercantile taxes are down and, because contractors aren't building as much, permit fees are down, he said.
"As the general public knows," he said, "when they go to the grocery and, until recently, when they went to the gas station, you pay more for everything. It's the same way in the city."
He said some departments actually came in under budget on everything for 2008, except for fuel costs.
"Everything costs a lot more money than it did a year ago," he said. "I don't think anyone thought the economy would get this bad. It's the national economy that's fueling this. It's not something local."
Riel said they worked very hard to cut more than $400,000 from the budget, but there's only so much they can cut and still run a government and maintain public safety.
He did say they are still working on it, however, and they hope they can find more to trim between now and the second reading of the budget on December 23.
After the meeting, Riel told WESB and The HERO that he and three councilmen have offered to donate their salaries back to the city.
Councilman Bob Onuffer also said that, because of mandated pension contributions, health care insurance, energy costs and the cost of motor fuels, the city is over budget for this year. Because of that, they have instituted a freeze on all non-essential spending for the rest of the year.
In other matters during Tuesday's council meeting, council approved a certificate of appropriateness to Tor & Rebecca Swanson to demolish the two-story building at 15 East Washington Street.
And not a moment too soon. Earlier in the day, heavy snow caused part of the building to cave in.
Council also authorized execution of all documents related to the PA Smooth Operator Grant Program for the police department.
Smooth Operator is a model for a coordinated, intra- and interstate program designed to combat the aggressive driving problem and find short- and long-term solutions for it. The 2007 campaign involved law enforcement agencies from all around Maryland, Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania.
Council also approved free parking in the business district from Friday through December 31 for holiday shoppers.
Also, Riel noted that Tuesday was the first night the streetlights in the Streetscape project were lighted and they looked "very nice."
WESB/WBRR News Director
Anyone who's been paying attention to the state of the nation's – and the commonwealth's – economy probably saw something like this coming. City of Bradford taxpayers are looking at a 4.43 mill tax increase.
Mayor Tom Riel said, "Nobody missed the boat. Municipalities and governments all across the state are in trouble. All municipal governments are in the same boat."
Riel said the increase for a person who has a $40,000 home would be $160.
He said that next year timber revenues will be about half of what they were four years ago. Health care costs have doubled in the last five or six years, and they're looking at a 23 to 24 percent increase next year.
Riel also explained that because people aren't working, wage taxes are down. Mercantile taxes are down and, because contractors aren't building as much, permit fees are down, he said.
"As the general public knows," he said, "when they go to the grocery and, until recently, when they went to the gas station, you pay more for everything. It's the same way in the city."
He said some departments actually came in under budget on everything for 2008, except for fuel costs.
"Everything costs a lot more money than it did a year ago," he said. "I don't think anyone thought the economy would get this bad. It's the national economy that's fueling this. It's not something local."
Riel said they worked very hard to cut more than $400,000 from the budget, but there's only so much they can cut and still run a government and maintain public safety.
He did say they are still working on it, however, and they hope they can find more to trim between now and the second reading of the budget on December 23.
After the meeting, Riel told WESB and The HERO that he and three councilmen have offered to donate their salaries back to the city.
Councilman Bob Onuffer also said that, because of mandated pension contributions, health care insurance, energy costs and the cost of motor fuels, the city is over budget for this year. Because of that, they have instituted a freeze on all non-essential spending for the rest of the year.
In other matters during Tuesday's council meeting, council approved a certificate of appropriateness to Tor & Rebecca Swanson to demolish the two-story building at 15 East Washington Street.
And not a moment too soon. Earlier in the day, heavy snow caused part of the building to cave in.
Council also authorized execution of all documents related to the PA Smooth Operator Grant Program for the police department.
Smooth Operator is a model for a coordinated, intra- and interstate program designed to combat the aggressive driving problem and find short- and long-term solutions for it. The 2007 campaign involved law enforcement agencies from all around Maryland, Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania.
Council also approved free parking in the business district from Friday through December 31 for holiday shoppers.Also, Riel noted that Tuesday was the first night the streetlights in the Streetscape project were lighted and they looked "very nice."
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