Schuylkill County taxpayers won’t see an increase in their real estate taxes next year.

County commissioners on Wednesday approved a final 2024 spending plan that keeps the property tax rate the same as it’s been for the past five years, 15.98 mills.

The owner of a property assessed for taxes at $80,000 will continue to pay $1,278.40 in taxes.

The per capita tax also remains the same at $5 per person.

The levy breaks down to 15.38 mills for the general fund account and .60 mils for the funded debt account.

The general fund spending is anticipated at $83,290,995, to be offset by projected revenues of $72,762,685.

The county expects to draw $10,528,310 from its general fund unassigned fund balance to make ends meet, said County Financial Director Paul E. Buber.

The funded debt account anticipates spending $2,087,101 for debt service, to be balanced by projected revenues and carry-over restricted fund balance money equaling the same amount.

The general fund is included in the overall county budget of about $200.5 million.

Also included in the annual budget is the Capital Project Fund Account. That category anticipates $125,763 in spending and balanced by an equal amount in revenues and restricted carry-over fund balance money.

The capital reserve fund account is balanced at $460,000. The internal service fund/Workers’ Compensation, for claims and administrative expenses is a balanced $380,000.

Also included are special revenue accounts for office/department functions.

They are: Local Use Funds, with anticipated spending of $951,500 and revenues of $812,500; Liquid Fuels, with anticipated spending of $1,953,296 and revenues of $785,900; demolition, with anticipated revenues of $2,041,430 and revenues of $1,313,000; Farmland Preservation, with anticipated spending of $372,136 and revenues of $124,581; the Human Services Complex, with anticipated spending of $314,882 and revenues of $229,832; 911 services, with anticipated spending of $8,071,130 and revenues of $8,071,130; American Rescue Plan Act (pandemic funding), with $11,438,199 in funding left and anticipated spending of $406,000; tax reassessment, with anticipated spending of $5,679,582 and $215,400 in revenue; other agency funds, with $3,699,573 in anticipated spending and the same amount in revenues; the Office of Senior Services, with a balanced $6,722,160 in expenses and revenues; the Drug and Alcohol program, with an anticipated $4,052,296 in expenses and $3,659,017 in revenue; mental health/disabilities, with $7,933,307 in projected expenses balanced by the same amount in revenue; Children & Youth Services Agency, balanced at $29,076,113 in expenses and revenues; and Domestic relations, with projected expenses of $2,574,614 and anticipated revenues of $2,743,935.

The budget also includes other special revenue fund accounts for programs including the Aging Advisory board, offender supervision, affordable housing, coal lands, DUI, the Schuylkill County Transportation Authority, Marcellus Shale, the Emergency Solutions Grant, which call for a balanced total of $28,642,237.