SMETHPORT — The McKean County Commissioners on Wednesday adopted the county’s 2019 budget, a spending plan that keeps real estate and per capita taxes at their current levels.
The general fund budget that operates with taxes amounts to $17,656,492. The all funds budget that includes all funding that passes through the county, such as grants, totals $39,967,423.
The 2019 real estate tax levy rate remains at 11.25 mills on every dollar of assessed valuation. Meanwhile, the per capita tax of $5 will be applied to all people subject to the tax.
Commissioners lauded Lori Coffman, fiscal director, for her work on the budget.
In another financial matter, commissioners officially authorized designated officials to execute and deliver a $3.5 million tax anticipation revenue note from Juniata Valley Bank at 2.81 interest.
Last month, commissioners accepted this interest quote for the TRAN from JVB with a maturity date of June 30, 2019.
In a related financial item, last month the commissioners accepted the interest quote of 2.81 percent for a Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note with a maturity date of June 30, 2019, subject to the county solicitor’s review.
Commissioners also OK’d three requests for tax exempt status for the 2019 tax year. The first was from the Hill Memorial United Methodist Church in Bradford for a .09-acre property at 85 Boylston St., where a building was removed to expand a church parking lot. The assessed value is $2,000.
The second one was for a .17-acre property at 47 Interstate Parkway in Bradford, which is owned by the Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization. Its assessed value is $46,630.
The final property, with an assessed value of $50,080, is at 68 Fraley St. in Kane and is owned by Kane Borough. This parcel measures .09 acres.
Commissioners also accepted 15 offers for purchases from the McKean County repository for unsold property. In the case of the property at 10 N. Main St, in Port Allegany, the borough accepted the offer of $1,500 from Peggy Chapell, but the Port Allegany School District favored the $2,000 bid from Brandon Maynard. In a tie vote, county commissioners are empowered to cast the deciding vote, and Commissioners Cliff Lane and Carol Duffy voted to accept Maynard’s offer.
Also, gaining approval were invoices from seven municipalities for their respective completed Liquid Fuel projects in 2018. They were Ceres Township, $5,318; Corydon Township, $1,257; Foster Township, $10,703; Lewis Run Borough, $1,241; Mount Jewett Borough, $2,040; Norwich Township, $2,751; and Sergeant Township. $1,067.
Commissioners designated the following dates for their 10 a.m. public meetings at the courthouse on the second and fourth Tuesdays, except for March, November and December in 2019: Jan. 8, 22; Feb. 12, 26; March 12, 27; April 9, 23; May 14, 28; June 11, 25; July 9, 23; Aug. 13, 27; Sept. 10, 24; Oct. 8, 22; Nov. 12, 27; and Dec. 10, 23.
These meetings will be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order except where a specific rule to the contrary is prescribed.
With a resolution approved Wednesday, working hours for the courthouse will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except for June 3 through Aug. 30, when the designated hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Commissioners approved numerous reappointments to various agencies. They were Ron Dankesreiter, Bradford Regional Airport Authority; Carol Duffy, Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council; Al Pingie, Duffy and Susan Wilson, North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Executive Committee;
Also, Bob Veilleux, Anita Dolan, Jeremy Morey and Sherri Geary, NCPRP&DC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee; and Pingie, Office of Human Services; Pingie, Duffy, Wilson, Morey, Lawrence Feick, Tom Riel and Sara Andrews, NCPRP&DC’s full board of directors.
