Officials in Cambria County say the original budget that was created by the previous administration was based on a fairy tale and now they have to work hard to reverse the current course, but that means raising taxes.
“Nobody likes a tax increase. I don’t like a tax increase and the goal is not to increase taxes,” says Cambria County Commissioner President Tom Chernisky.
However, a tax increase is expected as long as the new budget for Cambria County passes.
“At the end of the day we need to hit payroll. We need to keep services going, by not doing what we’re doing, we would have to shut down government,” Chernisky added.
When newcomer B.J. Smith entered office this January as a fresh set of eyes, he and the other county commissioners took another look at the budget that was already set for the year.
“They were over estimating what they were bringing into the county, which increased their debt,” Smith says.
After cutting more than a million dollars from the budget, the commissioners say they were shocked to learn the county is still facing a $7 million deficit.
The commissioners proposed a 5 mill increase. One mill would go directly to the county’s debt. They outlined what each community is approximately going to pay, with Westmont Borough being the highest at $128 extra per year.
It will cost the average Cambria County homeowner an extra $59 per year or 16 cents a day.
“Some folks will be about an extra $29 increase in taxes, some will be $42,” says Chernisky. “Some are going to be a little higher, some a little lower.”
Chernisky says he didn’t vote for the “train wreck of a budget” that brought the county to this point, but says he and the other commissioners are committed to making every day a budget day to bring business back and put the county on the right track.
The commissioners will vote to approve the budget on Monday.