2 results for “police and fire protection” · budget
Mayor George C. Brown's 2025 budget address for the City of Wilkes-Barre identifies two major fiscal challenges: the potential loss of approximately $750,000 in annual real estate tax revenue from Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and an over 11% increase in employee healthcare costs. To offset these challenges, the administration expects increased construction and building permit revenue from major development projects including the Wright Center expansion, Meyers High School renovation into apartments and retail, the First National Bank Building purchase, and Sphere International's mixed-use development, along with anticipated increases in Earned Income Tax. The budget emphasizes cost-cutting measures in overtime and contract work, continued staffing priorities for Fire, Police, and DPW departments, infrastructure improvements including $1.1 million in Solomon's Creek flood protection and $1.5 million for Brookside Levee protection, and quality-of-life initiatives such as community policing programs and street repairs.
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