Property owners in Carbon County will see their real estate taxes stay the same under a balanced $45.2 million 2016 budget adopted Thursday by commissioners.

The property tax rate will remain at 10.25 mills for the third year. That means the owner of a property assessed for taxes at $50,000 will pay $512.50 again next year.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that overall, the board was happy that it was able to sustain the county agencies during the state budget impasse, while still passing a balance budget."That shows that we have been fiscally responsible," he said.The total budget breaks down to $42,175,157 million for operating expenses, $509,086 for capital projects, and $2,505,072 million for special funds budgets.Of the tax rate, 10 mills go toward the general fund and 0.25 mills toward paying off debt.Each mill generates about $1.5 million, with a 92 percent collection rate, so the 10 mills for the general fund will generate $15,478,781.The operating budget has just over $400,000 less in the operating budget than initially proposed.Jeff Weiss, the county's financial consultant, said the decrease is because under the new 911 funding from the state, the $410,000 depreciation expense that was originally budgeted for next year, was not needed because it is not charged anymore.The amount of tax revenue anticipated next year is only about $31,000 more than the county received this year.Personnel makes up for $12.7 million of the budget. The budget includes an anticipated 3 percent increase for employees in 2016, subject to salary board approval on Jan. 4.Operational costs at the county prison are $4 million.Commissioner William O'Gurek said that the budget, which gives employee raises while not raising taxes, "speaks to what we've been successful in the ability to sustain costs."Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said that to be able to hold taxes at the current rate for three of the last four years shows that the commissioners are trying to work within their means.Nothstein said that last month, reports surfaced that the county now had a $1.2 million deficit, but said no one ever came to look through the 600-plus page budget that is available to the public between the tentative adoption and formal adoption."No one has come in with their accountants to prove otherwise," he said. "It's a shame that people don't come in."Nothstein added that some of the misconception may come from funds that are set aside for various sources like 911 and liquid fuels."We get funding in 2015 and that doesn't get spent so we hope to spend it in the following year," he said. "That is where the confusion seems to be the most. What we have on hand already and what we expect to spend that's coming from the fund that we took in in 2015. That is why it looks like a deficit and that's not happening."