A tax increase doesn’t appear to be on the horizon for McKean
County.

On Monday, County Administrator Richard Casey said county
officials continue to formulate a spending plan for next year,
adding a balanced budget should be accomplished for the third year
in a row.

“At this point in time, I don’t see any need for a tax
increase,” Casey said. “Obviously the goal is to balance the
revenues and expenditures and we are reaching that step now. We are
still in the information gathering stage and seeing how it all adds
up.”

Casey said the county’s administration has already met with
department heads to discuss what they need in their individual
budgets.

As usual, Casey said the largest pieces of the budgetary puzzle
revolve around salaries, health insurance and fuel costs.

“The overarching thing is to continue providing the services we
are required to provide in the best possible way for the clients
and make the best use of taxpayer dollars,” Casey said. “Our daily
goal is to seek a better use of available funds.”

In last year’s $29.13 million budget, county officials announced
that two new departments would be created – Soil and Water
Conservation and Economic Development, the later of which county
officials said last year they hoped would grow the county’s tax
base enough to secure no tax increases for future years. There
doesn’t appear to be any similar large moves included in this
year’s budget.

Breaking down the nuts and bolts of the proposed spending plan,
Casey said there will be a cost of living increase for salaries
this year because of recent collective bargaining agreements
reached with the county’s various unions.

“The employees covered by collective bargaining agreements will
receive raises in accordance with those agreements,” Casey said.
“That will vary depending on which unit members are a part of.”

Casey said some of the raises will be tied to the Consumer Price
Index as determined on Sept. 30, adding “we are waiting to see what
that determination is.”

Earlier this year, the county reached agreements with the prison
workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees, and 911 Center workers and the “commissioners
residual unit,” both represented by the Pennsylvania Social
Services Union.

County officials are still in negotiations with the
Court-Related Unit, which consists of court-related employees.

The previous four-year contracts call for wage increases and
changes to health insurance coverage.

The county has also added a handful of new positions again this
year to the payroll.

On the issue of health insurance, Casey said the county is part
of the Northern Counties Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperative –
which includes McKean County as one of the agency’s founding
members.

Officials expect a small increase in premiums for health care
and prescription drug coverage for next year, but that figure
hasn’t been determined yet. However, Casey said officials are
planning that figure to be “somewhere in the 10 to 15 percent
range.”

“Based on a meeting we had with our administrator last month,
things are going well in the cooperative,” Casey said, adding the
losses in the cooperative are more than covered by the
contributions. “Instead of having the insurance company keep that
money, we’ll get it back.

“I expect in the first half of next year we’ll get back a
substantial sum of money, depending on how the rest of this year
goes in regards to (health insurance) claims.”

In last year’s budget, county workers under the “employee only”
option saw what they paid into the program hiked from nothing to 8
percent of the total health and prescription drug premium cost.
Conversely, those in the family plan experienced a decrease in the
contribution rate.

Like other municipalities, the county is also trying to get a
handle on fuel costs.

“It’s very volatile,” Casey said, noting the county has taken
advantage of recent lower prices for natural fuel, purchasing what
is needed for January.

“Compared to last year, it’s still too early to say how winter
will play out, but we expect what we pay for heating next year will
be no worse than it was last year,” Casey said. “There are many
areas where we found efficiencies and have been able to save money
and make improvements at the lowest possible investment.”

The county’s budget will be unveiled to the public the first
week in December, according to Casey, adding a similar forum as in
previous years will likely be held at the University of Pittsburgh
at Bradford. The budget has to be opened to public comment for 20
days before its final passage at the end of December.