Wilkes-Barre City Council moves 2023 budget closer to approval [The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

Nov. 23—WILKES-BARRE — City Council on Tuesday moved the proposed $53.2 million balanced budget closer to approval without answering a resident's question which of them was taking the city-provided health insurance causing the expense to more than double next year.

Council voted 5-0 to send the budget onto a second reading in order to have it go into effect in the new year and remained silent when Bob Kadluboski asked which of them was responsible for the increase to cover their health care.

The budget contained a line-item expense of $75,070 for medical insurance for Council, up from this year's figure of $33,415. The increase of $41,655 was less than 0.08% of the overall budget, but the minuscule amount still drew criticism.

"You're taking advantage of the taxpayers in probably one of the worst times where people are struggling just to make ends meet," Kadluboski said, admitting he's one them and behind on his taxes that he hopes to pay within the next two weeks. "So I want to know, can I get an answer? I want to know who and I want to know why."

No Council member responded when offered the opportunity to by Chairwoman Beth Gilbert McBride.

Afterward, Council Vice Chairman Mike Belusko and Councilman John Marconi said they are taking the city offered health insurance in 2023. Councilman Tony Brooks is taking the $3,600 buyout offered employees who do not take the insurance. McBride and Councilman Bill Barrett are taking neither the insurance nor the buyout.

McBride is also renewing her 10% salary cut of $1,320 next year, keeping it at $11,879 compared to $13,199 for the others. The chairperson's salary is budgeted at $14,699. Council has frozen its annual pay and has not had an increase for years.

The higher cost for the insurance was due to a combination of an increase in premiums and change of plan selection, the city's Finance Officer Brett Kittrick explained to Kadluboski who pressed for naming the Council members responsible.

"I don't know offhand, but I won't comment on individuals anyway. I'll comment on the Council budget as a whole," Kittrick said.

Picking up where he left off at Council's Nov. 10 budget hearing, resident Sam Troy he was glad there was no property tax increase next year, but called for more time to review the spending plan.

"I just think this was kind of a rush job this whole thing. And I really would hope that Council would put this on the back burner and not even vote on it tonight for the simple reason as I just mentioned, that it does not help to ease the plight of people in this city who are struggling and getting burned by terrible inflation," Troy said.

Troy suggested the city create a $500,000 "Taxpayer Trust Fund" to provide some sort of tax relief to residents.

Brown defended his budget, saying it's approximately $1.3 million less than the 2022 budget. "When you reduce the budget and you don't have a tax increase, it's a darn good budget," Brown said.

The budget contains a $10,000 salary increase for Brown to $70,000 a year and a $3,600 health care buyout. Brown has said he began his term in 2020 by taking a salary cut to $60,000 from the $82,000 budgeted for mayor and refusing the buyout. Even with the increase next year, Brown calculated he's saving the city more than $200,000 in his four-year term.

On the only other item on its agenda Council renewed the five-year Municipal Services Partnership Agreement with the Luzerne County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. City Administrator Charlie McCormick said the plan sets an annual payment based on the population for Wilkes-Barre in the 2020 U.S. Census. The city will pay on a graduated scale, beginning at 80% and increasing to 100% in the fifth year.

McCormick said the estimate for the first first year is a little over $19,000. "And the calculations were made that that was cheapest alternative" compared to a per animal fee for strays brought to the SPCA's facility in Plains Township, he said.

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.

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