EBENSBURG — Cambria County taxpayers are set to receive a financial boost with a major tax cut scheduled for 2022.

The Cambria County commissioners posted the county’s tentative 2022 budget Friday morning, which includes a 2.5-mill tax decrease for property owners.

If approved, it will be the sixth-consecutive year that Cambria has leveled or cut taxes, and the tax relief is expected to save county taxpayers about $3 million.

“This is really exciting, and it’s a win for everyone across the board,” Cambria County President Commissioner Tom Chernisky said. “This was a total team effort, and we put a lot of work into this to do things right for our taxpayers. A lot of good things are happening right now in Cambria County, and we want to keep the momentum going.”

The tentative budget includes the third tax break over the past six years in Cambria County as taxes were cut by 1 mill in 2017 and 2018.

The total mileage rate for 2022 is expected to be 31 mills.

The budget is scheduled to be approved Dec. 23 by commissioners Chernisky, B.J. Smith and Scott Hunt, with the latter crediting the tax decrease to the “team effort” between the three commissioners.

“This reduction helps taxpayers and allows us to continue to operate a fiscally responsible and effective county,” Hunt said. “This is for the benefit of everyone today and into the future.”

County officials also credited the tax cut to “responsible spending and financial management.”

Commissioners said the closing of the county juvenile detention center in 2016 resulted in yearly savings of $1 million, and those savings have quickly built a solid reserve fund for the county.

“Fixing our finances was no accident,” Chernisky said. “We ended the past practices of overestimating revenue and using fictitious grant dollars to balance the budget. We made every day a budget day.”

Savings from those budget cuts also helped paved the way to eliminating an $8.6 million deficit.

With budget cuts and aid from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the county now operates with a $13.6 million surplus.

“By 2018, we had a positive fund balance for the first time since 2011,” Smith said.

Chernisky said the 2022 tax anticipation was paid early, resulting in additional savings.

Cambria officials said the county does not need to seek a tax anticipation loan in 2022.

County officials said the 2022 budget will help fund the Cambria County Land Bank, which was approved earlier this year.

The land bank will reinforce the county’s efforts to combat blight, officials said, adding that the land bank will enable the Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County to acquire hazardous or blighted buildings to be demolished.

In addition to tackling blight, the county will also be able to continue to utilize Act 89 funds, which have allowed the county to repair 10 structurally deficient bridges since 2016.

“There are good things happening, and we are creating a winning atmosphere throughout Cambria County,” Chernisky said. “Removing blight, repairing our bridges and cutting taxes is a win for the residents and businesses of Cambria County.”

While they admitted there is still plenty of work to do, all three commissioners said they foresee a bright future in a county that is “ripe for growth.”

“I think we are already seeing better days in Cambria County, and there are certainly more to come,” Hunt said.

Mirror Staff Writer Calem Illig is at 814-946-7535.