Northampton County Exec Lamont McClure will be unveiling his 2025 budget in Council Chambers on Wednesday, October 2, 2 p,m. (It will be livestreamed on the county's YouTube channel). I have no idea whether he plans to propose a tax hike, but it's unlikely. As Jeff Ward observes in LVNewsBriefs, "McClure has presented six budgets since he was elected in 2017. Five of the budgets left the property-tax rate unchanged, and one of them cut taxes." As I just mentioned, he's a cheap bastard. But his budget does have some good news for the county's career service workforce.
Career service workers, who make up about a third of the county's 2,200 employees, are nonunion. They are slated for a step when McClure announces his spending plan next week. A step is a promotion to the next level of a payscale, and amounts to a 4 1/2% raise.
Well, tell them to be grateful and get back to work and stop wasting our tax dollars! Where is that ferocious fiscal watchdog Ron Angle when we need him?
ReplyDeleteShould have been done every year like it was suppose to be. Too late, get rid of him.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you first ?
DeleteEvery county employee should get a yearly step as originally planned. Not an option.
ReplyDeleteCombined with all the settled Union contracts, I doubt there will be a tax cut too.
ReplyDeleteThis has got to be a nasty joke. There are too many steps in the pay scale and when you are underpaid a step in the pay scale is nothing. We are still underpaid and you can change the pay scale all you want. Until you do the wage study by a legitimate outside professional firm and condense the pay scale to only a few steps, we will never be paid a satisfactory wage.
ReplyDeleteAre you ok ?
DeleteGood for the civil service Bernie but how have the unions made out this year.
ReplyDeleteThe Unions have contracts and this article has NOTHING to do with Union people
DeleteHe must be running for something.
ReplyDeleteGood for the Career Service, but will this administration be transparent and truthful about the Gracedale budget? Why did the nursing home run a $27.8 million operating deficit in 2023? How is this sustainable without a huge county contribution?
ReplyDeleteSomebody is reading their quarterly reports. Don't you listen to blunder boy when he speaks? The one thing he is right about those quarterly statements are good for toilet paper. How about this administration budgeting Gracedale at 430 residents and they are now averaging over 450 residents in daily census that has to add up to some bucks.
Delete7:30, Gracedale did not have an operating deficit in 2023. This was addressed at a Council meeting, so you are repeating a lie.
DeleteSee page 94 and the note on page 11 expenditures in 2023 exceeded revenue by $27.8 million. They wiped out the entire fund balance. What was the explanation?
Deletehttps://www.norcopa.gov/corecode/uploads/document6/uploaded_pdfs/corecode/2023%20GPFS_1075.pdf
I think you might be in the wrong line of work, don’t you agree ?
DeleteCome on 9:48 am. You are smarter than that. You know that revenue at Gracedale is fluid and there is a difference between budgeted amounts and the financial statements. Gracedale's budget is an educated guess. This does not take into acount any roll or money that was budgeted for capital on multi year projects. Ask questions at the Human Services Committee or listen to Jenn when she speaks and you might learn something. I know the visual of Gracedale falling off a cliff is a long time GOP dream. Not happening.
ReplyDeleteShould Council pass this Step, Norco employees will be the highest compensated Third Class county employees in PA.
ReplyDeleteBarron is a tool; his knowledge of finances is worthless. The fed money helped McClure budgets for years. The fact is there is a functional deficit at
ReplyDeleteGracedale. O'Hare is in love with the words of this administration so forget his analysis. Mcclue knows less about finance then he does about law. You will never get a real accounting unless you get a completely independent from the administration auditor. Forget the Controller, she was purchased by McClure. They were terrified of Cusick due to his knowledge and ability.
So yeah, anyone who disagrees will be shouted down. McClure and his gang including the Controller and his council people are the new county know nothing party. God bless the county, we need it.
Your analysis is nothing more than cherry picking rubbish with a heaping dose of complete misunderstanding of how nursing home financing works.
DeleteNext year is an election year. Of course no tax increase and raises. Now that Covid money is gone, let’s see what happens after next year.
ReplyDeleteThe Covid money has been gone for 2 years. Are you feeling slow these days ?
DeleteNot that complicated. The nursing home significantly increased its PPD (a good thing) but wildly overspent to do so using agency staffing and overtime. Meanwhile reimbursement rates haven't kept up with inflation and the building is 1/3 empty. The result is an increasing operating deficit and county contribution.
ReplyDeleteFinally after the majority of us have left for other jobs. Working for the county is nonsustainable and exhausting. Council is delusional. I left for the state and after only a year make $25k more and have a much more enjoyable environment.
ReplyDelete