WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- Property owners in Luzerne County will soon see a tax hike for the first time in years.
Tuesday night's budget meeting was a long one, lasting late into the night.
In the end, the Luzerne County Council approved a budget for next year, and it calls for a real estate tax hike of 3.25%.
What does that mean? It means the average property owner in the county will pay $20 more per year. That's about $1.75 per month.
The original proposal called for a 5% hike, but some council members wanted to whittle that down.
The vote was 7 - 4.
The council had until Sunday to pass a budget.
While they say they didn't want a tax hike at all, council members say rising costs of healthcare and pensions are among the reasons they needed to do it.