Saturday, December 31, 2011
NEW CASTLE, Pa.
Lawrence County Commissioners unanimously passed a balanced 2012 budget with no new taxes when they met Friday.
The only major difference from the initial budget introduced earlier this month was a 3.6 percent cost-of-living increase due to all county officeholders based on the Consumer Price Index for the year, which was issued Dec. 16.
That change, along with other minor adjustments, amounted to a $33,000 increase over the preliminary budget, said Jim Gagliano, county administrator.
The budget also includes 3-percent wage increases for nonunion, management and the Local 964 Laborers’ Union, which includes jail employees and court related workers, as well as 3-percent or 50-cent hourly increases (whichever is higher) for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents some courthouse employees. Commissioners said they are locked into the union increases for the multi-year contracts which end Dec. 31, 2013.
Although there were some single-digit increases in health- insurance costs, commissioners said that at least for the duration of those contracts, employees will not contribute toward the cost of their health-care insurance except for co-payments when they use the service. However Commissioner Steve Craig has said this could be on the table when bargaining starts in 2012 for a new labor contract.
In order to reduce employee health-care costs, commissioners in 2010 changed policy for new nonunion employees who get coverage only for themselves but may purchase additional coverage for their families.
Overall, the general fund budget, which pays to run most county offices, is up 4.7 percent to $20,477,509 in the new year. The increased revenues are due to a “slight” half-percent increase in property-tax assessed value, as well as the fact that the county has finished paying off a $1 million note to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare for an unauthorized fund transfer in 2003, Craig said. That transfer took place under a previous board of commissioners. The DPW let the county pay the money back at $150,000 per year with no interest.
In addition, the Tax and Revenue Anticipation note that commissioners will borrow before year’s end to cover 2012 expenses until the first taxes are collected is $100,000 less than in 2011. Also, the annual required contribution to the county’s employee-retirement fund is estimated at $1,149,211 in 2012, down from $1,250,000 in 2011.
Friday was the last day in office for Democrat County Commissioner Richard DeBlasio who lost his bid for a second term as commissioner to local businessman Robert DelSignore Sr., a Republican. The election gives a majority to Republicans with Republican Commissioner Dan Vogler set to become commissioner chairman in the new year. Craig, a Democrat, also won re-election to his second term. DelSignore complimented DeBlasio and the commissioners’ office for helping him with the transition.
Swearing in for county officeholders is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday in Courtroom 1 at the County Courthouse. Commissioners will next meet at 2 p.m. the same day in their meeting room.
County elected officials will make the following annual salaries in 2012: Commissioners - $62,473; Registrar/Recorder - $60,737; Controller-$57,188; Treasurer -$57,188; Coroner – $56,526; District Attorney – $168,541; Prothonotary – $60,737; Sheriff – $56,526; Jury Commissioners – $11,898.