Carbon County residents can expect to pay the same amount on their county taxes in 2016.

During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, the board voted to approve the tentative 2016 spending plan, calling for the millage to remain at 10.25.That means a homeowner with a $100,000 home that is assessed at $50,000 will pay $512.50 in county real estate taxes again next year.The budget, which is broken down into operating funds, $42,576,007; capital projects, $509,086; and special funds, $2,505,072, totals $45,590,165."I'm feeling good about the budget," Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said. "We had a lot of ups and downs but we were able to hold the line."Nothstein said that being able to keep the same millage, while also lending the county Area Agency on Aging, Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission and Children and Youth money to keep the doors open during the budget stalemate and seeing only an estimated $31,000 more in revenues coming into the county for operations, is a testament to the financial stability of the county at the moment."It hasn't been easy, but we're managing," he said.Commissioners Thomas J. Gerhard and William O'Gurek also were pleased with the overall budget, but noted that some tough decisions had to be made to be able to balance the budget."I think all of our department heads are living within their means," Gerhard said. "We controlled spending here."Gerhard commended his colleagues, as well as Jeff Weiss, the county's financial consultant; the department heads and Eloise Ahner, county administrator, for their work on the $45 million plan."Everyone played a role in this," he said.Gerhard also pointed out that in addition to controlling spending, the county was able to purchase two buildings - one on the east side of Jim Thorpe, which will be renovated for the county archives department, and District Judge Casimir Kosciolek's office in Lansford - as well as make major renovations to Josiah White Park and the train station."We continue to do things and still operate under a balanced budget," he said.O'Gurek added that in 2014, the commissioners anticipated an ending balance of $8.89 million in the general fund; as of now, he noted, the county is anticipating a beginning balance for 2016 of $10.2 million."That is significant," he said. "That means that we either got more revenue, had the benefit of not having to pay a high annual required contribution (to the retirement fund), or we're not spending, which equates to making some painful decisions."The county has also been paying down on its debt, which stood at $12 million a decade ago. After making the required debt payment this year, Carbon's long-term debt will be down to $5.2 million.In addition to cuts, the board said that they will be spending more from the special funds budget on some projects and programs in 2016. Special funds come from various revenues such as fees for offender supervision.Through that fund, some examples include a vehicle purchase for a department; and the affordable housing program, which helps low income families complete rehabilitation projects on their homes through fees collected in the recorder of deeds office, will use $185,000 to help more people on the waiting list."Thankfully we have that money because our general fund otherwise couldn't afford to operate those programs," O'Gurek said.Nothstein added that increasing fees on telephone lines provides more 911 funding for the department, but he said two big ticket items that will cut into increased revenue. Currently, two microwave dishes that are used to operate the communications center need to be replaced at a cost of over $300,000. If they aren't, the center can't operate.The 2016 budget will now be available for review in the commissioners' office until 4:30 p.m. Dec. 16.The formal adoption of the budget will take place during the commissioners' Dec. 17 meeting.