Harrisburg City Council during a legislative session on Tuesday.
Harrisburg’s budget for the new year is taking shape with proposed increases in public safety, infrastructure and special events funding.
On Tuesday, the city administration presented a $74.9 million proposed general fund budget for 2023, one that officials say is the lowest budget in several years.
The spending plan contains no property tax increase.
“Council members, we have the opportunity with this budget to continue to move the city of Harrisburg forward,” said a statement by Mayor Wanda Williams, who was not present at the meeting, read by Dan Hartman, business administrator. “This budget is fiscally sound and responsible for our residents.”
In all, the proposed budget totals $110.6 million, which includes both the general fund and $20.2 million neighborhood services fund budget, among others.
City officials highlighted the emphasis on improving public safety with this year’s funds. The budget proposes an annual 3.5% increase in salaries for city police officers, as well as the funding of 16 new positions in the bureau. With the proposed increases, the police bureau budget would increase by $1.6 million from the 2022 budget.
Infrastructure is another area of focus within the proposed spending plan. The budget would account for upgraded street lighting, ADA accessibility improvements as part of a State Street construction project and renovations to the city’s MLK City Government Center and Public Safety buildings.
Additional funds would go toward purchasing new recycling and trash trucks, covering the cost of city technology upgrades, and hiring a dedicated community events coordinator.
City Council and the administration will go into more detail on each section of the budget during budget hearing meetings scheduled for Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 1 and 6, each at 5:30 p.m. Hearings may continue on Dec. 7 and 8, if needed.
In other financial news, council passed a resolution to pay off $12 million of the city’s remaining $20 million in general obligation bond debt, by the end of the year. The $20 million is money that the city owes after defaulting on loans during its financial crisis a decade ago.
“The city and members of this body and everyone involved wants to get the city out from under this debt that we got into,” said council member Westburn Majors. “We really see the light at the end of the tunnel. This agreement […] is a really good step in the right direction.”
While the administration last week proposed paying off the entire chunk of remaining debt all at once, council had concerns about spending down such a large amount of Harrisburg’s fund balance. While Harrisburg will still need to decide when and how to pay off the remaining $8 million of debt, Majors explained that the decision to pay off the $12 million now will save the city millions of dollars that would’ve accrued in interest had it continued with its regular payment schedule.
“We are very happy,” Hartman said, of the payment. “It’s a step in the right direction.”
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, council approved two new appointees to the Capital Region Water (CRW) board of directors.
Williams introduced four appointments at previous council meetings, explaining that it was “time for a change” on the board.
Council voted to appoint attorney Karen Balaban to fill a currently vacant seat on the board with a term set from January 2023 to 2026.
Additionally, they voted in favor of Nathan Davidson, a state House of Representatives employee, replacing current CRW board member Crystal Skotedis, whose term has expired. Davidson will serve from January 2023 to 2027.
Council voted down two other appointments to the board, Deborah Robinson, special assistant to the city business administrator, and former city engineer Joseph Link. Council President Danielle Bowers explained her vote against the appointments, saying she would like to see “new, fresh faces” on the city’s boards.
Current CRW board members Marc Kurowski and Andrew Enders will continue to serve, although their terms have expired, until reappointed or replaced.
Finally, council approved a plan by nonprofit Shalom House to transform their building at 1510 Market St., a former church, into a 14-room supportive housing facility for women and children in need.
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