Northampton County Executive John Brown thinks he can make it through next year without a tax hike. He released his budget message for next year during a news conference Oct. 2 at the Centralized Human Services Building. The budget itself was released the next day and posted on Northampton County's web page.

Next year, Brown is projecting only $279.5 million in total revenue. That's a $9.4 million drop from this year, and is due primarily to cuts in human services grant funding, as well as a stagnant real estate market.

He's proposing a $334.4 million budget, a $16.2 million cut from this year. The tax rate stays steady at 10.8 mills.

It's a bare-bones budget that sets aside no money for purchases of land, despite council's decision in 2006 to set aside one-half mill every year for open space. It does still continue spending for farmland preservation at $3.9 million, although open space projects have been reduced 28 percent.

He asked department heads to come up with 10 percent in cuts and was able to realize 6 percent ($3.5 million). In his budget message, he states, "[o]ur employees are the most valuable asset we have." Forty-five percent of the budget, about $147 million, pays for the people working for the county. But he's offering no wage increases other than those already contained in previously approved union contracts. He has also reduced the county's contribution to health care for its 2,200-person workforce. Though he was unable to recall how much that saves in his news conference, the released budget shows that these controversial cuts will save only $164,500; about 0.5 percent of the budget. The budget projects total benefits cuts of $1 million

His proposed budget includes only minimal capital improvements, although the county will continue on the work started with a 2013 bond issue for bridge reconstruction and rehabilitation, replacement of generators at the courthouse and Gracedale, and a boiler house for Gracedale.

The county contribution to Gracedale, its nursing home, is projected at $7.7 million. A $1 million increase in revenue to the home realized by patient payments is offset by $2 million in declining intergovernmental revenue.

Slots revenue from the Sands Casino, which is projected to drop to slightly under $1 million, is administered by a nine-member gaming board. The budget proposed gives the executive sole control over $3 million in table games revenue.

The most interesting feature of his budget message is a proposed $20 million line of credit. Brown downplayed this in his news conference, calling it a backup plan. His budget message states it will be used only if revenue is insufficient to support operating expenditure requirements. But it also states a line of credit is proposed to balance the budget.

Northampton County's Home Rule Charter expressly prohibits any form of borrowing to finance annual operating programs or services, with the exception of emergency borrowing. The Home Rule Charter also expressly requires a balanced budget. It states, "The total of proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total of anticipated funds available."

Several members of council have suggested that this may very well be illegal, and have asked their solicitor, Phil Lauer, to review the matter.

Brown was asked repeatedly whether this line of credit violates the Home Rule Charter requirement of a balanced budget, and he stated he would have to research that question. In his campaign literature, Brown criticized Mayor John Callahan for borrowing money. "Bottom line: if we don't have it, we shouldn't spend it. It's that simple. Recklessly spending against our children's future is wrong, and Brown will oppose any attempts to do so."