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Fish and Boat Commission approves 2015-16 budget

By Steve Ferris sferris@heraldstandad.Com 2 min read

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) approved a proposed 2015-16 budget containing $50.7 million in revenue and $59.8 million in expenditures at its meeting last week at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Wharton Township.

Revenue for the fish fund, which comes from fishing license sales, is $35.9 million and expenditures are $41.3 million.

Revenue for the boat fund, which comes from boat registration fees, is $14.8 million and expenditures are $18.5 million.

The budget will be submitted to Gov. Tom Crobett, whose approval is required.

PFBC Board President Norm Gavlick said the expenditure numbers are projected maximums and the commission won’t spend the entire amount. The reserve fund would have to be tapped to carry out all the spending in the budget, he said.

Not included in the budget is $2 million for wildlife conservation officer training school and revenue from Marcellus shale gas impact fees and leases, PFBC Executive Director John Arway said.

Rising employee pension and health care costs were absorbed into the proposed budget, which is about the same amount as the current budget, and about $1.2 million in revenue from the federal government remains sequestered, Arway said.

Fish and boat fund revenues are projected to be about the same in the current budget, but pension obligations are the primary force driving up personnel costs, Arway said. Utility, fuel and fish food costs also increased.

Personnel costs are “slowly eating into money for other operations,” Arway told the board.

Pension, salary and health care costs increased by $1.8 million over the current budget and will continue to increase, said Brian P. Miller, PFBC deputy director.

He said 67.5 percent of the budgeted expenses are personnel related and that figure has been holding steady.

The proposed budget covers the fiscal year from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

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