There is a story of a mother watching a parade in which her son was playing in a marching band. As the band passed by, she remarked, “Look, Johnny is the only one marching in step.” That thought ran through my mind as I reviewed the proposed 2022 budget for Lycoming County. Everyone will see the same numbers but will see them in very different ways.

Lycoming County government is one of the largest employers in the region, and its span of operations is vast. There are over 500 employees, and they work in county offices, in public safety, in public works, and a host of other areas. They are the ones who work in the prison and probation offices, collect our taxes and enable us to vote, preserve our farmlands, and answer the phones when we call 911. Altogether, the county has seventy different departments/programs/divisions that make up the General Fund services.

So, let’s start with the big picture for our county government, and to give some perspective, we’ll look at a three-year picture. The budget in 2020 in revenues for all operations and services was $104.4 million. This jumped up to $110.0 million in 2021. The good news for the 2022 budget is that it is just 0.8 percent above that figure in 2021, proposing $110.1 million in revenues. Looking at the three-year picture on the expense side, the 2020 budget proposed an expenditure of $118.0 million; in the 2021 budget, this jumped up to $133.4 million, and the proposed 2022 expenses are somewhat close at $134.7 million.

Taking a helicopter view of these three years provides a useful perspective. The beginning of the Covid crisis that hit in March of 2020 could have and probably should have caused a major shakeup in county operations. And like everything, this usually costs money. Yet, through a lot of dedication from county employees, the machine kept running, and the budget did not get busted. The commissioners should be given some credit for this feat, for sure, but merit badges should be largely given out to the department heads that consistently had to juggle a lot of challenges to get the job done.

To give an example of this, consider the single biggest area of expense — the category known as “Public Safety.” This involves the Lycoming County Prison, Adult, and Juvenile Probation, Communications, Emergency Services, and Hazardous Materials. At 18 percent, it occupies the highest percentage area of all funds. Yet, this matches last year and is one percent less than 2020. Considering the challenges that these departments must have faced in the midst of the chaos of Covid, keeping their funding requests steady is a remarkable achievement.

The area of the budget that citizens care about the most is, of course, taxes. On the revenue side, the good news is that the county will not have to raise taxes in the proposed 2022 budget. One of the major reasons for this is because the county receives significant funds from state and federal grants. There is a hero behind the curtain that brings home the bacon, and that is the Lycoming County Chief Procurement Officer, Mya Toon. Mya’s work could be described as a combination of an accountant, lawyer, and maybe even magician. She finds every penny under every rock, and it is all for the good of the county.

Another area of county government that helps balance the budget (thus keeping taxes from escalating) is Resource Recovery Management, better known as the Landfill. Their expenses are budgeted at over $18.5 million for 2022. Before you begin to scream, listen to the other side of the story. The Landfill generates $19.9 million in revenue! Director Jason Yorks is another of the hidden heroes in county government for his fantastic work. Jason quickly defers any praise for his efforts and spotlights his very highly dedicated group of staff and employees that make up the Lycoming County Resource Management Services.

Budgets are predictions of needs and concerns, and no one is ever completely happy. Yes, this area could have perhaps been trimmed back a bit to give a little more for another needed area. But, for the most part, the county has walked this tightrope rather well, and though it is far from perfect, the 2022 budget for Lycoming County looks like it will get the job done.