Updated
Updated · Scranton Times-Tribune · Jun 17
Lackawanna County Seeks $200,000 for Salary Study and Financial Plan, Extending PFM Through 2027
Updated
Updated · Scranton Times-Tribune · Jun 17

Lackawanna County Seeks $200,000 for Salary Study and Financial Plan, Extending PFM Through 2027

1 articles · Updated · Scranton Times-Tribune · Jun 17

Summary

  • Lackawanna County commissioners voted Wednesday to retroactively authorize a state grant application for $200,000 to fund a salary study and continue implementing the county’s financial management plan.
  • Most of the money would pay for a compensation review examining market competitiveness, internal equity and long-term pay practices, while about $25,000 would cover a limited-scope extension of PFM Group Consulting through the end of 2027.
  • PFM will update cash-flow projections and train revenue and finance staff, a step officials say should build internal capacity and reduce reliance on outside consultants.
  • The request follows years of fiscal strain that prompted debt restructuring, emergency borrowing and a nearly 33% property-tax increase for 2025 after PFM was first hired under Pennsylvania’s Strategic Management Planning Program.
  • Commissioners say the phase-three work is expected to be the county’s last STMP engagement as it shifts from crisis response toward longer-term financial stability and workforce management.

Insights

After a massive tax hike, will a $200,000 study truly fix county finances, or is it another expensive consultant bill?
With employee pay called 'out-of-whack,' will this new compensation plan finally deliver fair wages or just more broken promises?