On Monday, Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson announced that she expected the city to enter 2014 free of the City's incinerator debt of $340 million dollars.
That is a tall order for the Capitol City, but some members of the City Council believe it may happen.
"The debt of the incinerator, it could if everything is working the way it should that is what I am hoping for," said Kelly Summerford, a City Council Member.
"The plan that we have put together now is the best that we have seen, if this doesn't work, nothing is going to work," said Brad Koplinski another City Council Member.
City Council Member Sandra Reid says she's optimistic. "As far as us being debt free, that is a little optimistic, I'm not certain the numbers I'm looking at doesn't really project us to be debt free within 12 months, I don't see where those numbers are coming from."
Even if the curse of the $340 million incinerator debt is lifted from the city, Harrisburg will be far from debt free.
"Our total debt is roughly over $600 million dollars," said City Controller Dan Miller. "To think that we will start 2014 with no debt, is a statement that has no credibility in fact."
But many are wondering, where did the other debt of $260 million come from? "The other debt is debt that we've actually borrowed and used for our roads for different projects. That debt up until last year was being paid off."
Council members stressed that they have taken positive steps to get the debt under control. If you haven't yet you'll soon feel in your paycheck with the doubling of the Earned Income Tax.
The Council is worried about more problems like the sinkholes on N. 4th St. and how they could sink the budget.
To give you some perspective of how big the incinerator debt is, if you live in Harrisburg, your share of that debt is over $6,500.
The City Controller still believes that bankruptcy is still the city's best option to get back to a stable financial condition.
That is a tall order for the Capitol City, but some members of the City Council believe it may happen.
"The debt of the incinerator, it could if everything is working the way it should that is what I am hoping for," said Kelly Summerford, a City Council Member.
"The plan that we have put together now is the best that we have seen, if this doesn't work, nothing is going to work," said Brad Koplinski another City Council Member.
City Council Member Sandra Reid says she's optimistic. "As far as us being debt free, that is a little optimistic, I'm not certain the numbers I'm looking at doesn't really project us to be debt free within 12 months, I don't see where those numbers are coming from."
Even if the curse of the $340 million incinerator debt is lifted from the city, Harrisburg will be far from debt free.
"Our total debt is roughly over $600 million dollars," said City Controller Dan Miller. "To think that we will start 2014 with no debt, is a statement that has no credibility in fact."
But many are wondering, where did the other debt of $260 million come from? "The other debt is debt that we've actually borrowed and used for our roads for different projects. That debt up until last year was being paid off."
Council members stressed that they have taken positive steps to get the debt under control. If you haven't yet you'll soon feel in your paycheck with the doubling of the Earned Income Tax.
The Council is worried about more problems like the sinkholes on N. 4th St. and how they could sink the budget.
To give you some perspective of how big the incinerator debt is, if you live in Harrisburg, your share of that debt is over $6,500.
The City Controller still believes that bankruptcy is still the city's best option to get back to a stable financial condition.