Lebanon mayor tells City Council that the city ended 2024 with a budget surplus

Lebanon City Council learned Monday night that the city ended 2024 with an $891,498 budget surplus.

Speaking at the March council meeting, Mayor Sherry Capello reported that total revenues for last year were 117% of budget projections and expenditures 91%. The 2024 annual budget was $17,371,636.

Council president Brian Martin remarked that “‘surplus’ is a great word.”

The city has also started this year on the right foot. Through Feb. 28, with the year 16.67% complete, Capello reported that city revenue and expenses were at 16% and 15%, respectively, of 2025 projections. She pointed out that property tax receipts are expected to start coming in next month, which should further solidify the city’s financial position.

Council has adopted a $17,086,235 annual budget for 2025.

In other business before council, Capello announced that she has reappointed Dr. Marianne Turnbaugh to the City of Lebanon Land Bank for a second five-year term, effective Feb. 9. Turnbaugh, who has recently married, served as superintendent of Lebanon School District until 2017 under her prior name, Marianne Bartley.

Pennsylvania land banks are designed to help municipalities return vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use.

In the final item on a short agenda, council adopted a resolution authorizing the destruction of various old records in the Department of Administration. State law sets retention and destruction schedules for various types of records held by municipalities.

Outgoing police chief recognized

After completing its official agenda, council took a few minutes to recognize police chief Bret Fisher, who announced his retirement earlier this month after over 27 years on the force. He has been the city’s top cop since October 2022. After a few words from the mayor, council members and the public gave Fisher a round of applause.

“Just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean something’s amiss,” Fisher said. “The only reason I’m leaving is what haunts us all, I guess, Father Time. I have some other things that I’d like to do, and I can’t do them and be here.”

Fisher thanked the mayor and council for supporting him and his officers and assured them that “things are good,” and “the department is in the best shape it’s been in years.”

Read More: Lebanon police chief Bret Fisher to retire

Garbage can enforcement questioned

At last Thursday’s pre-council planning meeting, councilwoman Karen Haitos said she has received complaints and photos about garbage cans being left in front of buildings, visible from the street, on non-collection days.

A city ordinance requires that refuse containers “shall not be permitted to be stored at the front exterior of a structure. Whenever possible, all refuse storage containers shall be stored and maintained at the rear exterior of a structure. However, the containers may be temporarily placed at the front exterior of a structure on the day of or the evening prior to refuse removal service.”

Haitos asked Capello what the city is doing to enforce the ordinance. Capello replied that if code officials from the Pubic Safety Department see a violation they are supposed to give “a notice,” and “if they’ve had prior notice within a year’s period of time, then they can get an instant ticket.”

The mayor added that citizens should lodge a complaint with Public Safety “if it’s something we don’t see or if it’s ongoing,” and “going off the top of my head, we’re probably around 600 cases regarding trash each year.”

Martin was sympathetic to complaints about garbage can violations. “I think it’s a good reminder. It’s a quality of life, beautification issue.”

April council meetings

Council’s next pre-council planning meeting will be on Thursday, April 24, at 4:45 p.m. The next regular monthly meeting will be on Monday, April 28, 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 the Lebanon PA City Council YouTube page.