Mayor of Kittatinny, Pennsylvania, Gustavus G. Petykiewicz announced the proposed budget for 2016. Due to the loss of property value in Kittatinny, the annual city budget has been affected. Most of their losses come from the industrial industry. With a $100 million loss from this year to last, the change in budget will affect the 17,000 people living in Schuylkill County. When proposing the budget, Mayor Petykiewicz states that its goal is “to spread the pain around a bit.” If necessary, members of the city council, including Mayor Petykiewicz will take a significant pay cut.
The following members: Chief of police, Roman Hruska, City Council President, Delenlda Penoyer, President of American Federation of State, Country and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Martha Mittengrabben and President of the Pennsylvania Police Association, Bjarne Westhoff plan on working with Petykiewicz’s to propose a feasible and realistic budget for the city.
The loss within the industrial industry will cause 600 jobs to be lost at Susquehanna Steel Corp., directly affecting the commercial industry. In order to create more employment opportunities for the city, the annual budget proposes using the cuts from the industrial industry will be used to grow the commercial industry. This will create the opening of the Tohickon Creek Plaza, a strip shopping center that will include multiple jobs openings and stimulate further city development.
Petykiewicz plans on raising the city tax rate from 4 mills to 4.3 mills. President of AFSCME, Mittengrabben proposes that a 4 to 5 mill raise would “save jobs.”
“There must be a spirit of shared sacrifice,” Mittengrabben explained.
By approving a 1 mill tax hike, the money can go towards more commercial development or the reconstruction of industrial properties.
Aside from commercial and industrial development, additional jobs are needed within the police force. The proposed budget plans to cut an entire police shift from 4 a.m. to noon.
Chief of police, Hruska, stated “I cannot stand ideally by and watch a city of this size by deprived of regular city protection for a third of each day.”
The money accumulated from the tax hike can be used to keep an officer on duty during that time. In case of an emergency, calls will be addressed by an on call deputy from the Schuylkill County Sheriff Department.
“We must move forward from this,” Petykiewicz explained. “Please know that my door is always open and I welcome your suggestions as to how we can weather this tough time.”
The budget must be approved by the council and signed into law by Petykiewicz by March 31, 2016.
