‘There was a mistake made here’

Luzerne County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla issued a public statement Wednesday in response to the backlash over a residential property tax break that was cut without warning.

“I want the taxpayers of the county to know I hear their frustration and anger at the recent mix-up concerning the Homestead Tax Exemption. There was a mistake made here. We’re all human,” Petrilla wrote.

Petrilla said she “can’t dial back the play clock on this one item” but will make sure “things like this don’t occur again.”

“I also hope that all I have tried to do to improve county government at this crucial time in our history will not be judged by this one incident,” she wrote.

County minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he and Commissioner Thomas Cooney were in the dark about the tax break cancellation, and both agreed on Monday that the homestead would be restored.

Nearly 87,000 property owners qualify for the $52 county tax reduction for primary residences.

County Solicitor Vito DeLuca researched the law and concluded that it must continue unless commissioners vote to rescind it, which didn’t happen.

Petrilla said last week that she never knew the break had to continue beyond 2009. She also incorrectly maintained that a higher tax increase would be necessary to fund the break. County Budget/Finance Director Tom Pribula said the $3.5 million to $4 million cost of the break was never removed from the budget.

The county has advised tax collectors to refund all 2010 county taxes already paid because new tax bills will be printed and mailed, probably starting the end of this week. The county already spent thousands on postage, printing and labor to prepare the tax bills that were scrapped.

“I’ve finally put an end to the wasteful practice of seemingly endless county borrowing. We had to raise taxes, but we made many cuts in this year’s spending to try to minimize the pain,” Petrilla said.

“We now have a fairer tax system with everyone paying their fair share instead of some receiving a better deal over others. This preferential treatment went on for decades beyond when other counties reassessed,” she wrote.

• Singlehandedly worked with the principals of PA Child Care to end their (juvenile detention center) lease that cost $58 million.

• Discovered the practice of contract piecemealing, stopped and exposed it, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

• Completely put an end to nepotism and cronyism by hiring professional and experienced directors to fill jobs.

• Developed a cooperative working relationship with the courts to streamline their budget and save taxpayers $2 million a year.

Petrilla said she has worked hard “to begin the cleanup” and hopes people don’t “rush to judgment” on her performance before it can be “judged in its entirety.”

“These have been tough times in Luzerne County for a variety of reasons. We’re doing our best in these trying days,” she wrote. “I hope people will look at the big picture. Thank you to the taxpayers for any patience they can afford us. We will continue to try and do better.”

Voters would elect three commissioners next year, unless voters approve a switch to home rule government this November.

Wilkes University political science professor Thomas Baldino said each voter has the right to decide how to critique a public official’s performance, and he chooses candidates on their entire careers in public office.

“A public official should be judged by the totality of a person’s work. Her time in office is not over,” Baldino said.