On Nov. 22 Monroe County released its proposed 2018 budget. The new budget does not raise taxes and will hold at 21.25 mills. The budget totals $103.6 million.

Of the 21.25 mills, 2.83 mills will be designated to pay off loans to the county. The current long term debt obligation is $48.1 million.

Nonunion employees will receive a 3 percent cost of living increase on Jan. 1. The commissioners approved the hiring of four full-time and two part-time employees for 2018. The new hires include a sheriff’s deputy officer and an administrative assistance in the custody conciliator’s office. The Public Defender’s office will get a part-time investigator and the Department of Veterans Affairs will also be hiring a part-time office assistant.

The Prothonotary’s Office will be hiring two full-time, temporary data technicians to assist in the transition to a new case management software system. The new system, which is included in the proposed budget will cost $350,000 and is included in the Capital Reserve Projects Fund budget of $2.6 million.

The case management system will streamline civil court case management and permit e-filing, scanning and quicker, easier access to case records. The new system will consolidate and make for a more efficient workflow in the office.

Wages, overtime and benefits for county employees make up approximately $45 million in yearly expenditures.

The Capital Project’s budget is set at $638,579 for computer and equipment. These funds will be used to continually update the county’s computer hardware and software.

The Capital Reserve Projects Fund budget is $2.6 million and includes repairs to county property and general building maintenance as well as the new case management system. The fund also include $1,252,477 toward the ongoing reassessment project.

The reassessment project is expected to cost the county $6 million and is expected to be complete by 2020. According to Amy Rosen, director of fiscal affairs for the county, Tyler Technology is paid on a fee-for-service bases, which means that the county is billed monthly for work as it is completed.

Other projects that fall into the Capital Reserve Projects fund include a repair to the water tower roof at the correctional facility, replacing the heat pumps at the courthouse, repairs to parking lot, cooling tower and parking deck at the administrative center as well as other projects.

The budget has reserved the right to secure a bond in the amount of $6 million for current or future capital projects. According to Rosen, the county always reserves the right to bond for major projects, but at this time she is unaware of any imminent plan to do so.

The county expects to receive grants for Health and Human Services in the amount of $21.8 million, $1.4 million for court related services and $5.4 million for public safety/Anti-Terrorism Task Force.

The budget will be voted on during a public meeting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 15 at the administrative center, One Quaker Plaza in Stroudsburg. A copy of the proposed budget in available for review in the commissioners’ office in room 201 of the Administrative Center.