Luzerne County tax rebate plan advances

Although hurdles remain, a Luzerne County Council majority advanced an ordinance to use $46 million of the county’s federal American Rescue Plan funding to provide a nearly $600 real estate tax rebate for owner-occupied primary residences.

The ordinance would require a public hearing and final majority passage at a future meeting to take effect.

Several council members said they advanced the rebate ordinance to continue discussion, but they still have questions about whether such a rebate is definitely allowed under the federal guidelines that aren’t expected to be released until the end of August or early September.

Other options for the funding continue to be proposed, and some said they want to weigh them all before reaching a final decision.

The rebate proposal, heavily pushed by county Councilman Harry Haas, would use up about 40% of the county’s $112.89 million American Rescue Plan allocation.

County administration presented other proposals for portions of the funding during Tuesday’s work session.

Haas’ proposal would provide a refund for $48,500 in assessment for owner-occupied residents that had signed up for the homestead tax break program in 2020 and 2021. The approximately 77,000 impacted property owners would receive two payments of $299 each, he said.

Haas argued the refund is the most “efficient, secure and immediate way” to get relief to these property owners with minimal bureaucracy. He argued the owners of residential properties were overlooked in other coronavirus relief packages.

American Rescue Plan funding recipients must commit to a plan for their money by December 2024 and spend the funds by December 2026, the county budget/finance division said.

During public comment, Newport Township veteran Frank Chest told council he supports the refund proposal. Many county residents live in poverty, and he asserted the money should be used to “relieve their pressure.”

Transportation cut

Council granted the county Transportation Authority’s $717,075 county match needed to obtain $6.4 million in state operating funding, but it reduced a match request from Hazleton Public Transit.

Hazleton Public Transit sought a $189,038 county match to obtain $2.175 million in state funding for its public transportation service in the Hazleton area.

A council majority lowered the match to $168,811 due to a long-standing complaint that Carbon and Schuylkill counties have declined to contribute to the match, even though some of their municipalities receive bus service from Hazleton Public Transit.

Other council members expressed concern that the county has no say in appointing board members or representatives to oversee the Hazleton agency and that it has resisted discussing a potential merger with the county Transportation Authority.

After heated back and forth, Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat said he will have to cover the $20,000 difference with the city’s general fund budget and be forced to raise real estate taxes to cover it.

Government study

A council majority rejected Councilman Walter Griffith’s proposed introduction of an ordinance asking November general election voters to decide if they want to form a new elected Government Study Commission.

Study commissions independently decide if they want to keep and change the government structure. A change would have to be approved by future voters to take effect, which is what occurred before the county’s January 2012 switch to a customized home rule structure.

Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck suggested a council charter review committee similar to one activated in the past to consider specific alterations that could be implemented in council’s codes or put before voters as charter amendments.

Griffith said he is not attempting to throw out the entire charter and will propose a future resolution to form the council committee.

Drug testing

Recent news that a county correctional officer was found unresponsive at the prison minimal offender building due to an apparent drug overdose prompted several citizens to demand random drug testing for all county employees.

County Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich already has said he plans to reactivate random drug testing of prison employees.

Citizen Elizabeth Hartman said the county should immediately require random testing of employees at all levels, particularly those dealing with children and other at-risk populations.

“Employees have a choice. They can get clean or get gone,” Hartman said.

Former county Children and Youth director Joanne Van Saun has been charged with endangering the welfare of children and two counts of obstruction in child abuse cases for allegedly directing employees in May 2017 to terminate at least 217 reports of child abuse and neglect received from the state ChildLine system without investigating them.

Hybrid meeting

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the 11 council members were physically seated together since March 2020 due to the coronavirus.

A screen was set up in the room for council to communicate with citizens and presenters attending virtually.

Fewer citizens were permitted inside the room, and a monitor was set up in the foyer outside the room for other attendees to watch the meeting.