Lebanon City Council last night took the final step required by law to make the 2025 city budget – and a 10th straight year of no property tax hikes – 100% signed, sealed, and delivered.
By a unanimous 5-0 vote, council passed, on final reading, an ordinance keeping next year’s millage rate at 4.581, meaning property taxes will not have to be increased to fund the $17,086,235 2025 spending plan it approved last month. The same millage ordinance had been passed on introduction last month.
State law requires a two-step process. Council first passes a resolution approving Mayor Sherry Capello’s proposed budget. That happened last month. Council is then required to pass, at successive meetings, an ordinance setting the tax rate needed to fund the plan.
According to Capello, the average city property tax bill is $475 per year. Public safety consumes the largest slice of the pie, $337, or 71%. Public safety includes fire, police, and ambulance, fire hydrant, and 911 fees paid by the city, Capello said.
The next largest slices are general government costs, followed by public works, which includes snow and leaf removal, street maintenance, and parks. Those two account for $109, or 23%.
Other business
- Council passed an ordinance, on introduction, making minor amendments to the city’s stormwater management regulations that will bring them into compliance with state and federal requirements.
- Capello reported that, through Nov. 31, with the 2024 fiscal year 92% complete, revenues and expenses were at 99% and 84%, respectively, of this year’s budget projections.
- Capello reported that the Barbacane, Thornton & Co.’s audit of city finances through Dec. 31, 2023, gave the city a clean bill of health, with no deficiencies found.
- Capello told council that she has appointed city director of administration Melissa Quinones as a delegate to the Lebanon County Tax Collection Committee, which administers the county’s 1.9% earned income tax.
- Capello also reported that she has appointed city finance officer Melissa Weirauch as an alternate delegate to the same committee.
- Capello said she has appointed Rebecca Woodhouse to fill a vacancy on the city planning commission. Woodhouse is a partner in downtown Lebanon web and graphics design firm Level Eleven. Her term will expire on Sept. 14, 2028.
Bologna Drop schedule announced
The city’s annual Bologna Drop event will be held on New Year’s Eve starting at 10 p.m. on South 8th Street between Cumberland and Chestnut.
Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats has donated the bolognas, which will be attached to a disco ball manufactured by E&E Metal Fab. The bolognas and ball will be on public display starting at 3 p.m.
D.J. Jim Payne will provide music, and heaters will be standing by in the event of cold weather.
After the event, Seltzer’s will donate the bolognas to the Lebanon Rescue Mission.
Next Lebanon City Council meetings
Council’s annual re-organization meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 6, at 4:45 p.m.
City Council’s next pre-council planning meeting will be on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 4:45 p.m. The next regular monthly council meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m.
Both meetings are open to the public and will be held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon.
Meetings are also streamed live on YouTube here.
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