Northampton County property owners have been spared a tax hike next year, at least if county Executive Lamont McClure has his way.

On Oct. 3, he unveiled a $445 million spending plan for 2020 at the 911 Center on Gracedale’s campus. His budget keeps the tax rate at 11.8 mills, where it has been for the past five years. A home assessed at $75,000 will receive a tax bill next year for $885.

McClure is spending 5.6 percent less than he did last year. Part of the reason for this is because the county is no longer paying a triple net lease for its human services building, located in Bethlehem Township. It now owns the building. In addition, thanks to a refunding of county bonds, the annual debt service has dropped.

Though spending has been reduced, McClure wants to spend $2.6 million of the county’s reserve, or rainy day fund. This is to help pay for new voting machines mandated by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s Department of State. Though the state legislature approved a measure to reimburse counties for some of the cost of new voting machines, Wolf vetoed the bill because it also eliminated a straight party voting option.

McClure said he does expect the federal and state governments will eventually reimburse the county for this unfunded mandate.

In a sign that county nursing home Gracedale has turned a financial corner, McClure’s spending plan includes no county contribution to keep it afloat. The nursing home’s rating has gone up as well.

McClure’s proposed budget attempts to combat what he calls “warehouse proliferation” by setting aside $3 million for open space projects. The executive added this also reflects the will of the people, as expressed in a 2002 referendum in which voters overwhelmingly endorsed open space.

Like most employers who help pay for the health care of their workforce, Northampton County saw its health care costs spike 39 percent last year. This includes approximately $1.2 million the county used to fund the health savings accounts of employees.

McClure said he believes part of this increase is also because people are now electing to undergo medical procedures they deferred under the previous administration, which had a less generous health plan.

McClure added the budget fully funds a “disastrous public private partnership” for the repair or replacement of 27 bridges. The private contractor has missed several milestone markers, and the executive anticipates “much debate and discussion” next year over what appears to be a stalled project.

The budget also includes a 2.5-percent raise for the county’s career service, or nonunion workers. Union workers are paid in accordance with separate contracts, and most bargaining units will see a 2-percent raise next year.

This budget now goes to county council. Under the home rule charter, council must adopt or amend the budget by Dec. 16, or it is deemed adopted. Council can also flatly reject it, but it will still be deemed approved unless another spending plan is approved by that date.

The charter does this to prevent government shutdowns that increasingly have become the norm on state and federal levels.