Pittsburg, Crawford County officials weigh refunds, credits after mill-rate calculation error raised levy

PITTSBURG — City and Crawford County officials met Jan. 22 to review a mill-rate calculation error that increased Pittsburgh's adopted levy from 50.854 to 52.006 and produced an estimated $207,000 in excess distributable tax revenue.

Darren Hall, Pittsburgh city manager, told the joint session that the city's submitted mill rate was 50.854 but the county's final certification showed 52.006 after year-end valuation changes. "Our mill that we submitted was 50.854. Obviously, it came in at 52.006," Hall said, and traced the change to roughly $3.2–$3.3 million of RHID/TIF-like valuation that county staff said should have been excluded.

Lisa Lusker, Crawford County clerk, who prepared the county's tax rolls and certification forms, said the county's process and the timing of exemptions and late-year valuation adjustments make last-minute corrections difficult. "There's a lot of numbers floating out there. I know the numbers that we have. I know they're correct," Lusker said, and added that the RHID value was "not subtracted from the total" when the city's budget calculations were compiled.

County staff and commissioners calculated the distributable difference at about $207,000, which the city manager and county treasurer said equates to a 1.152-mill change on the adopted levy. Lusker presented a distribution estimate showing that of about 6,782 residential parcels in the city, roughly 2,362 homeowners would receive under $10 and more than 5,000 would receive under $25 if the county issued direct refunds; she also said businesses with higher valuations would receive proportionally larger shares.

Officials reviewed three primary options: cut checks to taxpayers now, issue credits on the 2027 tax bills, or set the 2027 budget starting point at the lower mill rate so taxpayers see the relief next year. County staff warned that direct refunds would be logistically complex and expensive: the county's tax and accounts-payable software run on separate vendor systems and would need custom programming, and preliminary per-check costs plus staffing could quickly erode the $207,000 pool.

"It's almost an impossible task," a county finance staffer said of building an immediate refund process. Commissioners and the county treasurer discussed per-check mailing and processing costs; staff estimated vendor work could take months.

City and county commissioners repeatedly emphasized protecting public safety and basic services. Hall and other officials said the $207,000 (about $150,000 to the city general fund after allocations) is less than 1% of the general fund and unlikely to force immediate cuts to police or fire, but it would reduce reserves and complicate next year's budgeting if not addressed.

Several commissioners said the most practical, least costly solution is to start the 2027 budget $207,000 lower (or reduce the starting mill rate), effectively crediting taxpayers next year rather than issuing immediate checks. "That's what I'm gonna go with: start it on next year's budget," said Commissioner Carl Wood, reflecting the view others expressed.

The meeting also addressed public confusion about multiple draft versions of the city's budget "books." Commissioner Cheryl Brooks asked staff to document differences among the three published versions and to present the certification page and final numbers publicly; finance staff agreed to review the record and answer pointed questions to restore trust.

Officials agreed to hold joint budget work sessions before regular meetings so commissioners from both jurisdictions see revenue and valuation assumptions at the same time and to reduce the chance of repeating the error. The session ended after a procedural motion to close; commissioners agreed to reconvene and present follow-up options publicly.

What happens next: staff said they will produce a clear explanation of the three budget books and valuation changes, discuss vendor timelines and costs for refunds, and schedule joint budget work sessions in the coming weeks. No immediate refunds were approved at the meeting.