Luzerne County Government

April 8, 2010

Controller unmoved in tax meet

Griffith tells tax collectors there is no authorization for $4 payments for the unpaid tax bills.

WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County officials met with a packed room of tax collectors Wednesday evening to discuss their complaints about pay cuts, but no resolution was reached.

County Controller Walter Griffith, who stopped a $4-per-bill payment for uncollected bills two weeks ago, said tax collectors receive $3.50 from the county for each bill that’s paid.

Griffith has previously said he reviewed the county commissioners’ 2002 resolution governing tax collectors’ pay, and it does not authorize the extra payment for the unpaid bills.

But, the tax collectors say the county should continue paying the $4. The county’s 69 elected municipal tax collectors are researching the resolution and considering taking legal action.

“I’m not going to pay something we’re not authorized to pay,” Griffith said. “There is no contract in place by the county to pay that. It’s a matter of whether it’s documented or not.”

The county paid $200,000 over the last four years to the collectors for uncollected bills, but a few will be impacted this year by the cancellation of the pay.

County commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Stephen A. Urban attended Wednesday’s meeting at the county courthouse. Both said they will speak with county solicitor Vito DeLuca and ask him to review the law.

Former Hazle Township tax collector Marguerite Benderavich said the county owes her about $6,000 for processing uncollected 2009 tax bills.

“You paid 66 tax collectors and you’re discriminating against me,” Benderavich said to Griffith. “When am I going to be paid?”

As the controller, Griffith said, he is required by the state county code to notify the commissioners within 30 days of the concern and stop payment on the issue if he sees something that is not authorized by the commissioners.

The commissioners will have to make a decision on whether they agree with his decision, Griffith said. If he does not agree with their decision, he can take the issue to the county court of common pleas, he said.

Jackson Township tax collector Jackie Latosek, secretary of the county’s tax collectors, said there is documentation supporting the $4 payments for unpaid tax returns.

Tax collectors like Latosek are upset because they used to be paid $4 for every bill that wasn’t collected and $3.50 for every bill that was collected.

But the controller wasn’t moved.

“This idea that we pay stuff just because it’s always been done is the reason why the county is in the shape it’s in today,” Griffith said.

Jen Marckini, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.

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