Quality-of-life tickets bring in $27.5K in Jeannette this year

Jeannette council and city officials have begun work on the 2024 budget, but whether a property tax increase is in the cards remains to be seen.

Bright spots for next year include added revenue from what officials said likely was related to an increase in business.

That includes more income for eating and drinking licenses and commercial garbage accounts.

“I think we just have a little more commercial business going on,” said Treasurer Jacob Milliron.

Council members, Milliron and city manager Ethan Keedy met in their first session Tuesday to go over anticipated revenues for 2024. Department heads will make recommendations or requests for their budgets, and council and Keedy will meet several more times before concocting a final plan.

Meetings to go over expenses are planned for Tuesday and Thursday.

A huge increase in revenue has been seen through quality-of-life tickets.

In 2021, $2,855 was collected through the tickets. That number shot up in 2022 when $20,800 was brought in. Property maintenance officer Vince Pascarella was hired in September 2021.

So far in 2023, there has been $27,500 made through quality of life violations, blowing past the anticipated $10,000 for the year. Officials plan to bump the budget up to $20,000 for 2024.

“Vince is doing a great job,” said Mayor Curtis Antoniak.

A 2017 ordinance established the ticketing process which is aimed at property maintenance violations, such as furniture in yards and junk vehicles. The ordinance eliminated the need for notices to be sent before citations in an effort to have the problem remedied quicker.

A couple of line items expected to have a decrease in revenue are building and occupancy permits.

Keedy said while projects are in the works, the city hasn’t received as much revenue this year as expected for building permits. The line item was budgeted at $20,000 and has amounted to about $13,000 so far. Keedy said he expects to receive several thousand more by the end of 2023 but recommended reducing the anticipated amount for 2024.

Revenue for occupancy permits in 2024 also might decrease because of new regulations council approved earlier this year.

The new ordinance requires checks of residential rental units any time there is a new occupant or a minimum of every 10 years. The previous ordinance mandated inspections of residential rental units every two years and when there was a change in occupant.