HONESDALE -- While the 2023 revenue neutral tax millage rate remains to be finalized, the County Commissioners presented the proposed budget for public inspect on Thursday, which calls $38.9million in total estimated expenses.
County Chief Financial Officer Botjer said this year’s budget process was complicated by the County-wide Tax Reassessment and Elections that changed normal budget meeting schedules with elected officials and department heads. From the beginning, the Commissioners committed to a revenue neutral tax millage, which required all departments to be cognizant of raising prices for both supplies and inflation.
On the Expenditure side, the County continues to invest in technology to reduce processing time and provide more online content and services for constituents in a safe and efficient manner. The pressure on the budget was eased somewhat by a nearly $1.4 million carry over from expected 2022 revenue. Botjer said the surplus is primarily due to the Election Integrity Grant from the state, revenue from housing out-of-county inmates and collections over estimated real estate tax projections.
The County estimates the real estate tax collections at 90.5 percent, but saw 93 percent of the billed duplicate collected in 2021 and thus far in 2022. “The County strives for a conservative revenue forecast, to assure our expenses can be paid out of expected revenues annually,” Botjer explained.
The actual tax millage, the fraction used to calculate tax bills, is determines when the budget is adopted on Dec. 22. Until then, the budget documents available for public inspection online or at the Wayne County Commissioners Office, 9225 Court Street, Honesdale, during regular business hours.
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