Greene County holds line on taxes for 11th straight year
WAYNESBURG – The Greene County commissioners haven’t raised taxes over the past decade, and 2019 won’t be an exception to their fiscal rule.
The commissioners unanimously passed their $19.238 million general fund budget that keeps the tax rate at 7.535 mills.
“If you’ve paid any attention over the past 11 years, it’s the same,” Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said during Thursday morning’s board meeting, after passing the 2019 budget. “We haven’t raised taxes in 11 years, and we’re very proud of that.”
He credited the help of Act 13, which provides money from the natural gas industry to counties and municipalities affected by drilling. Zimmerman said Act 13 impact fee money has filled the shortfall from the depletion of coal reserves from mining. The county experienced a $28 million loss in assessed value attributed to coal depletion.
The county used $188,151 from its healthy fund balance and Act 13 money to fill a budget shortfall resulting from the revenue loss from the lower assessment on coal reserves.
“That money is supplementing what we’re losing,” Zimmerman said.
The county had a fund balance of about $3 million and a capital project fund of about $3.2 million as of last December, the last time the fund was officially calculated. Greene County was among the leaders of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in Act 13 revenue, receiving about $4.9 million this year, which ranked it fourth in the state.
The county’s overall spending plan, which also includes the state’s Liquid Fuels tax allocation, 911 fund, Community Development Block Grant money and a variety of human services funds, will reach $28.577 million.
Also during the meeting, the commissioners agreed to a $3 million contract with the state for redevelopment assistance projects for the new UMWA Career Center Inc. training facility in Ruff Creek. The commissioners also approved $3,000 grants to each of the county’s 16 volunteer fire companies.