Luzerne County Council’s Community Planning and Economic Development Committee is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to discuss a proposed county ordinance involving future tax break requests.
Considered by the council earlier this year, the ordinance would set eligibility requirements for all developers seeking county real estate tax breaks, including reports on job creation, wages, and projected economic returns.
Penn’s Northeast President and CEO John Augustine had expressed general support for the proposed ordinance earlier this year, when council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino sought his input to ensure the development sector had an opportunity to weigh in.
Monday’s meeting is at 3 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Instructions for the remote attendance option are posted in council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
2027 budget
The county administration is instituting a new procedure to keep the council more informed on budget planning as it evolves, County Manager Romilda Crocamo told the council last week.
Council members will receive a status report every two weeks on the progress of budget discussions with divisions and departments, she said.
“These reports will give Council firsthand, real-time information — not a summary after the fact — so members are prepared for what to expect when administration presents its formal budget proposal,” Crocamo said.
As updates are delivered, she urges council members to take ownership and weigh in on priorities as they are being developed “rather than after recommendations are already made,” the email said.
“I will be direct: the decisions ahead of us are difficult. Balancing infrastructure needs, departmental demands, and the county’s fiscal constraints will require real trade-offs, and some of those choices will not be easy or popular,” Crocamo said.
The county has “faced hard budget years before” and will “meet this one the same way, with transparency, discipline, and a shared commitment to the county’s long-term stability,” she said.
The budget is set for introduction at the council’s Oct. 13 meeting and targeted for adoption at the Dec. 8 meeting, according to the meeting schedule.
Huntsville Road extension
The council voted last week to seek a $300,000 statewide Local Share Account grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to design and complete road improvements on a 4,800-foot stretch of the Huntsville Road Extension in Jackson and Lehman townships.
The county previously sought the full project cost of $524,300, but it was only awarded $222,000.
During a past work session discussion, County Councilman Harry Haas said it is a “horrible stretch of road” and asked when the project can begin if the funding is approved.
County Operational Services Division Head Michele Sparich estimated two years because the county does not want to proceed with the final engineering design unless the project is fully funded.
Hotel tax
The council agreed to participate in an auditing program through E-Collect PA LLC that could identify short-term rentals or other establishments that are not paying the hotel tax as required.
If any nonpayers are identified, E-Collect would receive a one-time payment totaling 25% of the additional hotel tax revenue, officials said. There are no other county costs associated with the contract.
County Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle said the company specializes in detecting establishments that “may be flying under the radar.”