The Dauphin County Administration building.
The Dauphin County commissioners today passed a 2018 budget that keeps property taxes steady for a 13th consecutive year.
The three-person board passed a $241 million budget that contains no increase in the county portion of the property tax, which will remain unchanged at 6.876 mills.
The county does expect to spend more than it takes in for 2018, but plans to use as much as $12.5 million in reserve funds to make up the shortfall. The county stated that it still expects to have a reserve fund balance of about $25 million by the end of 2018.
Last year, Dauphin County also balanced its budget by dipping into its reserve fund. It estimated that it would spend $12.5 million in reserves, but will only spend about $5.2 million by year-end, according to current county estimates.
The county stated that it will add funds to the county coroner’s office in 2018 to deal with the rise in opioid-related deaths. Last year, there were 85 overdose deaths in the county, but the coroner expects more than 100 by Dec. 31.
“This board continues to balance the need for conservative budgeting with the corresponding responsibility to provide vital services for our residents,’’ board Chairman Jeff Haste said in a statement. “We also never stop looking for ways to make our limited resources go farther, which is why we are pursuing a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers to force them to help pay for drug treatment and prevention programs.’’
