County commissioners leaning toward reopening Westmoreland's 2020 budget

Westmoreland County commissioners said Monday they still plan to reopen the county’s 2020 budget in hopes of nixing a 2.4% property tax increase, but they concede there isn’t much time left to do so.

State law allows a newly constituted board of commissioners to recast budgets approved by the previous board but requires the new financial document be voted on by Feb. 15.

“I think we need to have ideas by the end of this week,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes.

Time figures to be an issue for the new board led by Republicans Kertes and Doug Chew, who inherited the $341 million spending plan approved in December that increased property taxes by a half-mill. That tax hike, the first in Westmoreland County since 2005, is expected to generate nearly $2 million in new revenue for the county as a means to balance a budget that calls for expenses to exceed revenues by about $5.5 million.

A surplus account, used by commissioners for more than a decade to balance deficit budgets, is predicted to be all but exhausted by the end of the year, with $267,000 remaining heading into 2021.

County solicitor Melissa Guiddy said, once commissioners vote to reopen the budget, they must have a new proposed spending plan made public at least 10 days before the mid-February deadline. Commissioners have two public voting meetings scheduled, one on Jan. 30 and another on Feb. 13, before a new budget must be approved.

Chew said he wants a special meeting set sometime before the end of January for commissioners to formally vote to reopen the budget. His proposed schedule calls for a revised budget to be unveiled at the commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 30.

“I’ve been looking for ideas. Being the new guy, I’ve been pouring over the budget. But, before we vote to reopen it, I think we have to have a plan in place,” Chew said.

He said he hasn’t finalized any proposals to alter the existing budget and noted that finding spending cuts to offset the tax increase could prove difficult.

Kertes said reopening the budget does not require changing it.

“I want to reopen it, but we don’t know if there will be any true changes at this point,” Kertes said.

Cerilli, the board’s lone Democrat and hold over from the previous administration, voted along with retiring Republican Commissioner Charles Anderson in favor of the current budget. She said Monday she wants another chance to craft a budget for 2020.

“I encourage my colleagues to reopen the budget and provide their input. Unfortunately, Commissioner Anderson and I could not find anywhere to cut without eliminating major services. Cutting outside agencies, such as (the) airport authority, community college, transit authority, food bank, libraries, etc., would have a negative impact on our economy, work force, senior citizens and low income constituents,” Cerilli said in an email.