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By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@leader.net
Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Page: 1A
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County commissioner candidate Frank Trinisewski has
called on outgoing commissioners not to make a decision on reassessment until
a new board takes office in January.
Trinisewski pointed out that minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban is the
only incumbent seeking re-election, and the new commissioners elected in
November should get the chance to review “the whole issue of reassessment.”
Commissioner Tom Makowski, who, with Urban, supports reassessment, has not
had an opportunity to review Trinisewski’s letter, said county Chief Clerk Jim
Torbik.
However, Makowski has said he will conduct the county business he was
elected to perform until his term expires at the end of December, Torbik said.
“I would assume reassessment is one of the issues that would fall in line
with that.”
Urban said Trinisewski’s letter is a predictable campaign stunt launched by
a former commissioner who did nothing to correct taxation inequities and
assessment record problems.
“Obviously he must be behind in the polls and he’s looking for support,”
Urban said. “Because Frank Trinisewski is running for office, the wheels of
government are supposed to stop?”
Urban said Trinisewski, who is a Democrat, had his chance to consider
reassessment and the assessment record problems as a commissioner from 1980
until the early 1990s.
“Trinisewski is a product of the old school where assessment records are
on paper cards done in pencil to where changes could be made easily,” Urban
said.
Stories have been written about additions and other improvements to homes
that were not added to the tax rolls during Trinisewski’s tenure, Urban said.
“A lot of these problems date back to Frank Trinisewski’s tenure when he
was a commissioner, and he did nothing to fix them,” Urban said, noting that
Trinisewski “never once showed his face” at several public meetings called
to discuss reassessment and gauge public input.
Unless Commissioner Tom Pizano reverses his stance against reassessment, it
won’t proceed without Urban’s vote.
Urban said he won’t vote to reassess and commit to a reassessment contract
until phase one – a computerized mapping program – is completed this spring.
All buildings, communication towers and mineral rights will be plotted and
catalogued on a computerized mapping program, Urban said. That way the county
will find taxable properties that weren’t on the tax rolls and
government-owned properties that should be sold and returned to the tax rolls.
Also, property records will be computerized so they can’t be easily altered
and so they are more accessible to the public, he said.
An aerial flyover should be conducted soon when the snow melts but before
leaves sprout on trees and camouflage things, Urban said.
Urban has asked county Engineer Jim Brozena to coordinate discussions among
all county departments that deal with properties and taxes – including 911,
Tax Claim, Sheriff’s, Assessor’s and Recorder of Deeds offices – to make sure
all useful information is tracked as part of the computer program.
In his letter, Trinisewski said Gov. Ed Rendell promised he will be
“proceeding strongly” to address the statewide property tax problem during
the next six months.
“Should the state change its funding source or legislatively amend the
taxing status for counties and municipalities, a premature reassessment of
this county may have a negative effect on the property owners and the county
budget,” Trinisewski wrote, noting that a reassessment contract will cost
millions.