Nov 19, 2014 3 min read

The property tax levy in Washington County, according to the 2015 posted budget of $81.9 million to be placed on view for the public Friday at the commissioners’ suite on the seventh floor of the Courthouse Square office building, calls for no tax increase, but neither does it call for a tax cut.

Nine wells in Cross Creek County Park are projected to bring about $3.1 million in revenue to the county this year, and Commission Chairman Larry Maggi is quick to point out Washington County, at 24.9 mills, has one of the lowest property tax rates in Southwestern Pennsylvania. He also noted half of the gas well revenue is placed in what the county calls its “legacy fund put aside to take care of problems that may arise due to the gas and oil drilling. Instead of paving the streets with gold, so to speak, right now we are doing our due diligence to remediate anything that may be caused by drilling.”

This contingency fund for emergency expenditures is not part of the general fund budget. Neither is $3 million from Pennsylvania’s Act 13 impact fee from unconventional wells.

A check from Range Resources that is expected to total $11.3 million for drilling rights at Mingo Creek County Park, approved two weeks ago, had not yet arrived at the county treasury, so it is not included in the posted general fund budget.

The posted budget is $805,044 less than preliminary budget presented last month. The largest savings came from a $350,000 reduction on retirees’ health insurance for exact same Highmark plan; a $139,000 reduction in the county jail’s proposed spending; and $162,000 less for three positions within the adult probation department.

Property owners won’t be seeing a tax cut next year, Maggi said. “We’ve been putting that money back into infrastructure. County buildings have been neglected for years because resources weren’t available to do it,” he explained.

He cited remodeling at the courthouse, repair of roofs and 30-year-old elevators at Courthouse Square office building and courthouse that are prone to break down, and upgrades to the heating and cooling in the 110-year-old building.

The county is also responsible for 120 bridges, including covered bridges, and roads within county parks.

To make up for cutbacks by the state, county tax dollars are being used to shore up legal services for the indigent and the Washington Rides paratransit program.

Legal Aid received a supplemental appropriation earlier this year, and an additional $45,000 for next year. Washington Rides funding totaling $45,000 is a new appropriation this year.

Adoption of a final budget is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 18, which is expected to be the commissioners’ final meeting of the year.