County property owners will not see a tax increase next year, even though total expenditures have increased by more than $64.5 million in the preliminary 2022 county budget.

Current county budget expenditures are $189 million, while the preliminary 2022 budget expenditures total more than $253.6 million.

Anne Brown, the county's budget and human services finance director, said the increase is due to expenditures to be made for the millions in federal grants received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, American Relief Plan Act and other funding received by the county and its various departments during the coronavirus pandemic.

Included in the federal funding received by the county is $13 million in emergency rental assistance program funds, $36 million in Emergency Solutions grants, plus Community Development Block Grants and others, Brown said.

The 2022 general fund is listed at $81.7 million, which also is a significant increase over the current general fund of $69.7 million.

Brown said revenue losses of about $10 million from 2019 to 2020 can be taken from the county's American Rescue Plan grant and placed in the general fund.

She said that amount will be transferred to the capital budget for projects being discussed in the county.

“That's why the budget looks significantly larger this year than in past years,” Brown said.

Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, said the county has not yet allocated all of the American Rescue funds.

She said the $10 million was moved to the capital fund in part to prevent borrowing on future projects.

Brown said the county also is seeing additional revenue from the Butler County Prison as a result of the county's agreements with federal marshals and six counties to house prisoners in the county for a daily fee.

Osche said that earned the county about $3 million in additional revenue in 2021.

She said the annual fund balance, or carryover from the previous year, has increased due in large part to the revenue seen in the prison's program to house federal inmates and those from other counties.

Brown said the revenues in the 2022 budget's general fund show almost $52 million coming from real estate taxes, nearly $27 million from other general fund revenues and nearly $3 million in carryover funds from this year.

That revenue will cover the general fund expenditures in 2022.

Regarding general fund expenditures, the highest is public safety, at 26%.

Public safety includes the prison, the sheriff's office, emergency services, hazmat and probation.

Brown said while the annual prison expenditure has been about $12 million in previous years, that amount will rise next year to about $14.7 million due to increased costs for food, medical care and other expenses for the additional federal and out-of-county prisoners being housed at the county facility.

Second is judicial expenditures for courts, the district attorney's office and domestic relations, at 20%.

Transfers to other funds will use 19% of next year's budget, and general government, which includes county commissioners and the offices of the controller, treasurer and public defender, will use 17%.

In 2022, the county will spend about the same amount paying off debt, at around $5.6 million.

Most contributions made by the county will remain static next year, with a few exceptions.

The contribution to Butler County Community College will increase by $134,224 to a total of $5.5 million.

The Southwestern PA Commission will receive about $6,000 more, as the county's share increased due to a population increase.

The commissioners are expected to vote on a final budget at their Dec. 22 meeting, which will be held at 10 a.m. at the county government center.

The preliminary budget will be available for viewing online and paper copies are available in the county commissioners' office, Brown said.