EASTON, Pa. — Easton City Council passed a 2025 city budget with little fanfare or fuss Wednesday, locking in yet another year without a tax increase.
Following weeks of work by administrators, council members and department workers, the balanced 2025 budget came out to $70,863,806 — more than $1 million less than the 2024 budget.
It again held steady the property tax rate at 24.95 mills.
Prior to approval, city Finance Director Mark Lysynecky reviewed a few final recommendations for changes to the budget.
They include using remaining ARPA funding, reallocating Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System expenses incurred in the general fund to the stormwater/MS4 fund and reallocation to finance and fire capital.
Lysynecky highlighted that amidst those final suggestions, the final proposed changes balanced to zero.
"t just says a lot, I think, about this city's ability to manage its expenses and appropriately allocate its revenue."Easton City Administrator Luis Campos
After certifying that the changes and the previous evening’s adjustments to fees were included in the ordinance, council passed the budget in 6-0 vote.
Councilwoman Taiba Sultana was absent.
City Administrator Luis Campos described the work conducted over the budget season as “fairly smooth,” and said there was plenty of good debate and analysis.
Most figures stayed fairly consistent with 2024 figures, though the health benefits fund jumped to $5,455,000 — an $800,000 increase.
Health costs, no lawsuits, and growth
Mayor Sal Panto called attention to the health benefits increase when he introduced his initial budget in October, plus elimination of ARPA funding and a more-than-$2 million bump in the revolving capital fund’s revenues and expenditures, which reached $3,397,935 for 2025.
Prior to the budget review, Panto also spoke about the substantial savings the city has seen since the resolution of a settlement — Panto said it amounted to $10 million — to the widow of Officer Jesse Sollman, who was shot by a fellow officer during a training exercise in 2005.
"It's been challenging, but we've been meeting those challenges on an annual basis."Easton City Administrator Luis Campos
"We haven't had any major lawsuits in the City of Easton Police Department in 17 years," Panto said. "That's a huge savings to the taxpayers because we were paying a lot of money in lawsuits."
Regarding the movement of ARPA funding to ensure the city could use the cash before the option was off the table, Campos said, “In the following years, we’re going to have to continue to manage extra carefully.”
“We've been managing the budget fairly well," Campos said. "It's been challenging, but we've been meeting those challenges on an annual basis, fortunately, with some growth, both in economic development and also payroll in the market in general, which has helped maintain the city’s expenses without any substantial increases in revenue or fees.”
Campos also pointed out that the city was able to trim the non-resident commuter tax, a 1.95% income tax on those who work in, but do not reside in, the city.
'You take steps'
Campos credited fund management from Morgan Stanley and the pension board’s oversight for the cut, as the tax previously went into the city’s pension fund.
Now that the fund has attained a rating of “minimally distressed,” the city is no longer eligible to maintain the tax.
"We’ve been working in really productive budget sessions over the last several months.”Crystal Rose
“So with this budget, we held the line on taxes while removing the Act 205 tax," Campos said. "It just says a lot, I think, about this city's ability to manage its expenses and appropriately allocate its revenue.
"There's more work to be done, but, you know, you take steps and it's incremental.”
Campos said a forecast budget will be submitted in early 2025.
Councilman Frank Pintabone described the budget as “lean,” and commended administrators and councilmen and women who took the time to evaluate the extensive document and gain a better understanding of city government.
“There’s no extravagant spending, there’s no fat to really cut," Pintabone said. 'So it’s a seamless process.”
Councilwoman Crystal Rose said she was particularly excited to see the city attain a balanced budget while also adding positions, including a sustainability coordinator.
“I think that’s going to be important for our environmental concerns and efforts going forward,” Rose said.
“We spent a lot of time with the administration, as Luis mentioned, and I think the team did a really great job. We’ve been working in really productive budget sessions over the last several months.”
