HONESDALE, PA — There will be no increase in property taxes needed to support the 2019 budget released by the Wayne County Commissioners on December 6.

Following last year’s .28 millage (mills) increase—the first in five years—the millage remains unchanged at 3.99 for the new year. The $33,037,143.30 appropriations plan represents a $1,225,093 spending increase needed to cover growing costs. While property tax income, which represents the bulk of county revenues, was up by about $100,000, an estimated $976,000 in 2018 fund balance was required to balance the budget, the commissioners reported.

“The drug court, the drug and alcohol commission and probation all had increased costs,” Chairman Brian Smith said. The national opioid epidemic continues to contribute to increased costs in budgets across judicial-related offices, human services agencies, coroner and corrections. Wayne County Drug Court began in July 2017 and currently has 17 active participants. The program spans 18 to 24 months of intense supervision and outpatient programming for offenders who are accepted. The first graduates are expected in May of 2019.

 “We’ve been as frugal as possible… Nothing is solved without a cost,” Smith said

Some of that frugality was apparent in a $20,000 cut in the commissioners’ office budget. “It’s a challenge to manage costs. We were able to draw on fund balance accumulated over several years,” Commissioner Wendell Kay said. The new budget will include all mandated programs, he said.

Some .38 mills of the tax bill cover debt service. “We did borrow money,” Commissioner Joseph Adams said. Wayne’s resulting investments in energy savings will save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next 15 years. Beginning in 2017 and continuing through 2019, the county has invested in necessary plant and infrastructure upgrades by taking advantage of low-bond rates and an Energy Savings Contract arrangement. Growth in Wayne County has been stagnant for the last several years, while real estate tax dollars as well as job and population growth have also been flat.

The commissioners were optimistic that their “Wayne Tomorrow” initiative and related planning efforts will bring economic growth. The county is investing resources into community and economic development by assisting in match requirements for community and economic development studies, as well as match dollars for next-step project feasibility studies. An economic growth fund will be funded for the third year in a row and a community development investment plan is being formulated to better connect private and public resources to move the county forward.

The budget will be available for inspection in the commissioners’ office during normal business hours and can be viewed on the county website; www.waynecountypa.gov. The commissioners intend to formally adopt the budget on December 27.

In other business, the commissioners agreed to solicit interest rates for a 2019 tax anticipation note, not expected to exceed $2.5 million and approved a resolution to sign on to the “Call to Action” program, a statewide initiative to better deal with corrections inmates with serious mental illness by diverting jail time into treatment in correlation with funding for housing and work programs upon release. They also awarded a low-bid $264,735 contract for three bridge paving and guiderail projects to Kohr’s Excavating.