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Hazleton Budget Compromise Means Higher Taxes, Spending Cuts

By: Mark Hiller

Updated: January 4, 2013

Hazleton, Luzerne County -- The city of Hazleton must deal with financial pain in the final amended $8.6 million budget approved Thursday night by council. Property owners face a 1.4 mill tax increase. That means the owner of a $100,000 property will pay and extra $140 a year. Taxpayers must also fork over a $50 storm water system maintenance fee. Jean Mope is one of two council members who voted against the budget. She questions the legitimacy of the spending plan, in part, because of that storm sewer fee. "One thing I know is the storm sewer fee cannot be incorporated into the general fund. It has to have a line item of its own," said Ms. Mope. City Solicitor Christopher Slusser disputes Councilwoman Mope's claim that the budget may be invalid. "The budget can always be challenged I suppose but in my estimation I believe it's been done properly."

The 2013 budget leaves current staffing levels for police, fire and DPW in tact but cuts $317,500 in funding combined to those departments. The police department takes the biggest hit by losing $125,000 in funding. Department heads for the fire and police in Hazleton are still trying to determine the impact of the funding cuts but people who work and live in the city aren't happy about them. Chuck Springer owns a barber shop along East Broad Street and worries what less money will mean for law enforcement. "If services are being cut and especially with the police force there could be more crime downtown and anything like that," he said. Others say Hazleton Police need more funding and resources to make the city safer. "Every time I'm looking in the news somebody got shot, somebody got robbed, something bad happened. You know, I mean it's just ridiculous," said Jazmine Luna of Hazleton.

The funding cuts also mean Hazleton Police Chief Frank Deandrea won't be able to fill two vacancies in the department. The chief was out of town on Friday and wasn't available for comment.