Butler County 2024 revenue exceeds budget
The county’s revenue in 2024 was over $1 million more than what was anticipated in the budget, and only a fraction of the fund balance will be needed to close out last year’s budget.
Budget director Ann Brown broke the good financial news to the county commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting.
She said revenue from taxes is nearly $440,000 over the budget projection, and revenue from charges for services is almost $500,000 over budget due to higher than anticipated collections from the recorder of deeds, register of wills and sheriff’s offices.
The higher than expected revenue combined with budget transfers means that about $800,000 from the fund balance will be needed to close out the budget. Brown said the budget called for using $6 million from the fund balance.
Brown also said $3 million was transferred from American Rescue Plan Act funds including $2 million to cover the costs of the county’s emergency medical service programs. Those programs include the EMS Academy at Butler County Community College, EMS staffing assistance provided by Butler Memorial Hospital and an EMS study in the southern tier of the county being conducted by Cranberry Township.
In unrelated business, the commissioners tabled bids submitted for construction of a new senior citizens center at 215 N. Duffy Road and renovations for a new coroner’s office at 107 Woody Drive, and voted to re-advertise one of the construction contracts.
The tabled bids will be reviewed by county officials.
Two bids for the general construction contract for the senior center are $3.5 million and $2.8 million, but the contractor that submitted the lower bid withdrew it due to a clerical error that resulted in a lesser amount.
Solicitor Julie Graham said bids can be withdrawn within 48 hours of the bid opening, which took place Tuesday, but that contractor is not permitted to submit another bid.
The commissioners voted to reject the properly submitted bid and re-advertise the construction contract.
Three bids for the plumbing contract ranged from $128,200 to $399,000; three bids for the heating and air conditioning contract ranged from $1.22 million to $1.33 million; four bids for the electrical contract ranged from $654,929 to $1.62 million; and bids for a fire suppression system are $121,300 and $132,200.
Five bids for the coroner’s office general construction ranged from $672,001 to $918,792; three plumbing bids ranged from $141,200 to $160,000; four bids for heating and air conditioning ranged from $294,000 to $648,000; electrical bids were $197,777 and $332,500.
In addition, the commissioners extended the agreement with county planning consultant Delta Development Group to continue overseeing the $25 federal BUILD II grant awarded in 2020 for the Route 228 corridor improvement project in Adams and Middlesex townships. Delta’s fee decreased from $7,500 a month to $6,000 a month.
Mark Gordon, county chief of economic development and planning, highlighted the BUILD I and BUILD II awards and provided a project update.
The $20 million BUILD I grant and the $25 million BUILD II grant were combined with county, municipal and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation funding for the $184 million Gateway 228 Corridor project.
The BUILD I phase upgraded Commonwealth Drive between Freedom Road and Haines School Road. That phase was completed early last year $100,000 under the $14 million cost estimate, Gordon said.
The $36 million Balls Bend part of the BUILD I project is finished except for restoration work that is scheduled for April or May, he said.
BUILD II includes the $25.2 million upgrade of Freedom Road from Haines School Road to the Beaver County border and the $55.8 million upgrade of Three Degree Road from Penn Township to the Mars Railroad Bridge in Adams Township.
Gordon said the Freedom Road part of the project will be completed in November, which is a year ahead of schedule, and the Three degree Road part is expected to be completed in September 2026.
“The county, municipalities and PennDOT have a lot to be proud of,” Gordon said.
