Staring down a $13 million budget deficit, the Schuylkill County Commissioners say “everything is on the table” to consider cutting.

At their weekly meeting Wednesday morning, the commissioners were questioned about what County Administrator Gary Bender estimated between $13.3-$13.6 million deficit.

Bender said each county mill of property taxation is valued at $2 million, which makes the deficit approximately 6.5 mills,

And the commissioners have a short time frame to work.

Bender said the commissioners will consider the county’s tentative 2025 budget at their meeting next Wednesday, and then have another month until adopting the final county budget Dec. 18.

Maria Casey, the solicitor for county Clerk of Courts Office, asked about bringing in outside consultants.

Commissioner Chairman Larry Padora said most of the consultants the county used this year are no longer in the county’s employ.

“We asked row officers if they could share solicitors, and we were told ‘no’,” Padora said. “I think either Luzerne or Lancaster County has three, full-time attorneys who handle everything.”

Another area questioned about selling off county assets.

“We sold land we had in Pine Grove,” Padora said. “The STS building is on the horizon.”

Padora said the former Schuylkill Transportation System in Saint Clair has been looked upon as the site for an alternate prison site.

“That would be a $22 million project that is not realistic now,” Padora said, “So we are looking at the possible sale of the building.”

“The two biggest drivers in the budget are 9-1-1, and health care costs,” Padora said. “We had a 14% increase in health care last year.”

“That’s $3 million,” said Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington.

“The state changed the formula for 9-1-1,” Padora went on. “The county has to pay all of the costs of 9-1-1.”

Padora said 37 county positions have been eliminated, so they won’t have to be funded in the new budget.

“The county does not have to look at bankruptcy,” Padora added.

Padora has a long-term cure for the county’s budget bills.

“The knee-jerk reaction is to be against new warehouses and housing projects,” Padora said. “But they expand the tax base. You have to have growth, I’m a growth kind of guy.”

The warehouses create jobs, which expands earned income tax income to the county, and the municipality and the school district where the project is located.

One cut that won’t come is to county employees, Padora said.

I’m not cutting 3% for county employees with the health care increase,” Padora said.