SCRANTON, PA. – The City of Scranton’s proposed 2027 operating budget will not include a municipal tax increase, Mayor Paige G. Cognetti announced today.
“We have worked year after year to bring our city out of distressed status and efficiently and effectively manage our city’s finances, and provide a stable financial future,” Mayor Cognetti said. “I am proud of the work our team has done to continue to provide critical services to the people of Scranton while enacting measures that put our city on sound fiscal footing and respects taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.”
This is the fifth budget proposed by Mayor Cognetti that has not included a tax increase. Past proposed budgets have maintained taxes in 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026, and now in 2027. The City’s 2026 single millage tax rate was 6.3509 mills. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value.
The operating budget outlines Scranton’s expected revenues and expenditures, and it must be proposed annually by the mayor to City Council by November 15. Public hearings on the budget must take place by December 1, after which City Council may adopt or amend the budget by December 15.
Scranton’s recently released financial audit for 2025 showed a $3.6 million surplus in the city’s general fund and no negative findings. The surplus and the Cognetti administration’s ability to offer proposed budgets without a tax increase are the result of continued strong revenue growth and expenditure controls across all City departments.
Since exiting the Act 47 municipal financial distress program in 2022, the City has enjoyed continued positive economic growth. Standard & Poor’s (S&P) upgraded Scranton’s credit rating five times since exiting Act 47, with a current rating of A-. Scranton received the Secretary’s Award for Municipal Excellence from Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development in April 2025, recognizing the city as a place where local leaders are committed to dynamic change for the betterment of residents, businesses, and neighborhoods.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020 and took her third Oath of Office in January 2026. Her administration is focused on public safety, fiscal discipline, driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Mayor Cognetti Announces No City Tax Increase for 2027 | Press Release
Last modified: October 28, 2026
