Description of the Indicator
The county fiscal snapshot depicts fiscal indicators across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including total revenue, revenue per capita, total expenditures, and expenditures per capita.
Why is it important?
The fiscal snapshot points to the fiscal health of the four-county region. Increasing costs can challenge a county’s ability to maintain strong fiscal health. Policymakers can often respond to such challenges by analyzing trends concerning revenue and expenditures.
How is the region performing?
For 2023 Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne Counties all have slightly higher revenue than expenses per capita. All three also reported increases in total revenue, though Luzerne and Wayne Counties also reported increases in expenditures. In 2021, Wyoming County reported higher total expenditure than total revenue, resulting in higher expenditures per capita. Lackawanna and Wayne Counties had slightly lower taxes per capita compared to the previous year, while Luzerne and Wyoming Counties reported increases.
Since 2018 intergovernmental revenue has fluctuated for Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne Counties, with the highest revenue reported in 2023. Wyoming County’s intergovernmental revenue peaked in 2018 and declined through the following three years. Funds transferred from one level of government to another are considered intergovernmental revenue. These transfers may be in grants, shared taxes, or allocations to support specific projects, programs, or activities.