Payne takes basketball title 11 Vol. 102 No. Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 18, 1991 35 Cents | THE PRICE: $285,000 - THE TAX BILL: $2,584.96 "THE HOUSE: 72 S. Lehigh Street THE HOUSE: 112 Wellington Drive THE PRICE: $300,000 THE TAX BILL: $5,705.28 ‘A tale of two houses ‘Owners of new homes get big tax bill | fs By ERIC FOSTER 7 Post Staff If two families were to purchase homes with an identical value in the same town - you might expect that they would pay the same property tax. . In many states where properties are required to be periodically reassessed, your, expectations would be close to the mark. % ~ But in Pennsylvania; there are no regus. lations requiring periodic reassessment of Da of the properties in a county, and ' reassessment practically never happens. For home buyers, the difference can be WU thousands of dollars a year. 3 To demonstrate the difference, we'll give an example of two fictitious families pur- chasing real homes of a similar value in Kingston Township. The Joneses will purchase a two-story colonial at 72 South Lehigh Street for $285,000. The Smiths a modern home at 112 Wellington Drive for $300,000. The Joneses will pay $2,584.96 in real estate taxes at the proposed 1992 millage rates. The Smiths will pay $5,705.28. The $3,117.32 difference is because the Smiths hometvas. assessed at $25,470 in 1987 when it was constructed,. “The Joneses was assessed in the 1960s at $11,540. : John Anstett, chief assessor and direc- tor of the Luzerne County Assessment Office would like to see that change. “Our last county-wide general reassess- ment was in 1965,” said Anstett. “Which means that if somebody has a house which was built 20 years ago, the assessment was the same as it is today.” “I would like to see a law which requires a general reassessment. Personally, I think it equalizes assessments. It would bring the value of the house that was built 25 years ago to the current market value,” said Anstett, “Unfortunately, Pennsylva- nia law does nde uire thatto'be’done.” According to Anstett, one of the miscon- ceptions people have about reassessment is that governments will use to it immedi- ately increase their tax revenues. While residents with older homes are likely to see their assessed value, and their By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff Drive through almost any ‘town in the Back Mountain and Jyou're likely to see new houses being built - particularly in the larger townships of Dallas, Kingston and Jackson. For the folks already living in the Back Mountain, that growth means lower property taxes than many other areas in the county. The 1990 census shows that while Luzerne County's popu- lation actually declined 4.35% in the last ten years, the Back Mountain gained 6% more people. See TAX RATES, pg 9 See NEW HOMES, pg 9 Housing growth has kept tax rates down Population and assessment growth in the Back Mountain MUNICIPALITY POPULATION PERCENTAGE ASSESSMENT PERCENTAGE 1980 1990 CHANGE 1980 1991 CHANGE JACKSON TWP. 2941 3600 22.4% $4,119,931 $7,470,650 81.3% HARVEYS LAKE 2318 2746 18.5% $5,096,960 $6,437,210 26.3% LAKE TWP. 1783 1924 7.9% $2,281,170 $3,490,590 53.0% DALLAS TWP. 7287 7625 4.6% $12,762,100 $18,419,810 44.3% KINGSTON TWP. 6535 6763 3.5% $9,561,940 $14,258,420 49.1% LEHMAN TWP. 3030 3076 1.5% $4,836,770 $6,772,350 40.0% FRANKLIN TWP. 1473 1414 -4.0% $2,308,190 $3,346,930 45.0% DALLAS BORO 2679 2567 -4.2% $5,830,540 $7,153,140 22.7% TOTAL 28046 29715 6.0% Note: The 1990 census of 5336 for Jackson Township included the prisoners at Chase Prison. Without the prisoners the population is estimated at 3600. The assessment figures are from the Pennsylvania Economy League. Hunters’ harvest can help needy ‘By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff This year Pennsylvania hunters ‘have the opportunity for the first time to help area food banks while bagging a buck. Pennsylvanians for the Responsible Use of Ani- mals, in conjunction with the Commission on Economic Oppor- tunity, the state Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and other organizations, is participating in “Hunters Sharing the Harvest,” a ‘new program which benefits area food banks. Hunters who wish to partici- pate in “Hunters Sharing the Har- vest” only need to notify their pro- fessional deer processer when their deer is being butchered. The butcher notifies CEO, who will ‘inspect the fresh venison before transporting it to the food bank for freezing and storage. Only profes- ‘sionally processed venison is ac- cepted because professional meat See HUNTERS, pg 5 Christmas play Courtney Reap played the part of Mary in the Gate of Heaven Schools first-graders' Christmas play held on December 15. Kindergarten and first grade students performed before a large crowd of family and friends. (Post photo/Charlotte Bartizek) Board, teachers have til Dec. 22 to digest fact-finder's report By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff The Dallas School District has received the fact-finder report it requested to help resolve contract negotiations with the district's teachers. Janet Evans, secretary to super- intendent Gerald Wycallis, said that the report was received Thurs- day, December 12. The fact-finder, John Hamrick of Bethlehem, held a hearing on October 24 at which both the school board and the teachers’ union presented evidence. Both parties have ten days to EYESORE AND DANGER - The former Hearthstone Pub on Main accept or reject the report. If it is accepted, it becomes the basis for a contract. Ifrejected, then there is a five-day cooling off period after which negotiations begin again, according to Wycallis. The district's teachers have been working without a contract since the beginning of the school year. In August the district released a statement which said that the teacher's were requesting a five- year contract with yearly salary increases of about 10 percent. Union president William Wag- ner has called those reports inac- curate. Street in Dallas is regarded as dangerous by local fire and police officials. (Post photo/Grace R. Dove) Tearing down old pub to be Borough priority By GRACE R. DOVE Post staff New Dallas Borough Solicitor Ted Krohn says demolition of the badly deteriorated building hous- ing the former Hearthstone Pub is one of the borough's top priorities. Krohn, who became borough solicitor this past November, stated that he had a court order dated August 31, 1990, prohibiting the building's owners, named as T.L.C, Enterprises, from repairing, main- taining or renovating the existing building and ordering that either the owner or Dallas Borough demolish the structure. The court order further stated that the own- ers must assume all costs incurred from demolition of the structure; thus, if Dallas Borough demol- 3-year-old drowns in Idetown pool By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Three-year-old Michael Patrick Blaine of Harveys Lake died Mon- day evening after accidentally fall- ing through the ice in an above- ground swimming pool owned by his aunt, Shirley Wentzel, accord- ing to Harveys Lake police. Police said that the child was playing with his six-year-old cousin, Scott Wentzel, when he climbed onto the pool's deck and began to walk on the ice that had accumulated in the partially fro- zen pool. He fell through a weak spot near the pool's pipes, police said. Shirley Wentzel pulled Michael out of the pool after Scott ran in to tell her that Michael had fallen in. Another relative called 911; Lehman Township Ambulance responded, assisted by Medic 302, Harveys Lake police and Lehman Township police. The child was transported to See DROWNING, pg 5 ished the former bar, its costs would be assessed as a municipal lien against the property. : The Hearthstone Pub has bee an ongoing headache for Dallas Borough officials since Septem- ber, 1988, when council first re- solved that the premises consti- tuted a danger and a public nui- sance and directed borough solici- tor John S. Fine, Jr., to file an Action in Equity and any other necessary legal documents in Luzerne County court so that the dilapidated structure could be razed. : Between September, 1988 and August 31, 1990, the date of the present court order, several legal exchanges between the borough See PUB, pg 15 Calendar.............. 18 Classified........ 16-17 Editorials............... 4 Obituaries............ 15 Police report.......... 2 Property transfers..2 SChoDl........ oii: 14 SPONS.......00 00 kre 11 - Community Events BACK MOUNTAIN SENIOR CITIZENS- Thurs., Dec. 19, 1 _ PM, St. Therese's Church, Shavertown. Christmas fun fest, games and refreshments. - CHRISTMAS CANTATA- Sun., Dec. 22, 7:30 PM, Dallas United Methodist Church. 45 voice choir and instrumentalists. CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY - Sun., Dec. 22, 2 PM, Franklin Twp. Fire Hall. Santa will be there with gifts for chil- dren. CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, \ NEWS OR ADVERTISING
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers