News

September 22, 2009

Pittston Twp. rehires tax collection agency

Ordinances on the discharge of firearms and the use of other weapons were tabled.

IAN CAMPBELL Times Leader Correspondent

PITTSTON TWP. – Citing significant revenue gains over the previous tax collection agency, supervisors on Monday awarded a two-year extension to the Don Wilkinson Agency as the township tax collector.

Meanwhile in another matter, the board tabled the introduction of ordinances relating to firearms and others weapons.

Since hiring Wilkinson last year, the township had learned that HA Berkheimer had missed more than $1 million in mercantile taxes, and by going out and auditing companies, Wilkinson also had raised more than $375,000 from one local company alone, supervisors noted.

That the company also served as the tax collector for the Pittston Area School District meant that residents faced only one tax form instead of one for municipal and one for school tax filings, Wilkinson representatives noted.

The company’s 1.7 percent cost was also lower than the 2.5 percent Berkheimer had charged, supervisors noted.

In addition to auditing companies, Wilkinson also had set out to resolve long-standing issues of misdirected money, in which companies were listed as Avoca or Dupont when in fact they were in the township. The moves were resulting in some gains to the township, although there were also some losses as companies were moved off the rolls, reflecting that they were in adjoining municipalities, Wilkinson staff noted.

The award of the contract for two years means it will carry the township through to the proposed 2012 countywide tax collection system.

After that time it is expected all earned income taxes throughout the county will be collected by a single body, in accordance with new state law.

In other business, supervisors tabled plans to introduce ordinances prohibiting the discharge of firearms and the use of airguns and air rifles and other similar devices because of the absence of police Chief Steve Rinaldi.

As he had proposed the ordinance, he was most able to explain it and any questions arising from it, supervisors said they felt.

An ordinance adopting a drug-free workplace was adopted, though it does not currently cover police or fire staff, and also would not allow for random drug testing of other union employees.

The measure was needed so the township can continue receiving various federal funds, supervisors were advised.

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