LAWRENCE CO. PROPERTY Officials to set tax ratio at 100%

The county wants to delay reassessment for a year.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- There won't be any extra math needed to figure out taxes in Lawrence County.
Lawrence County commissioners tentatively agreed to set the property tax ratio at 100 percent, which is equal to the fair market value of property and buildings.
The tax ratio is now set at 75 percent of property's assessed value, and county officials say that's been a problem. They had to previously take the percentage of the assessed value and multiply it by the millage to determine the real estate tax bill.
"It's been very confusing for people to compare assessed value to market value," Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said.
What it means
The change will mean that all schools, municipalities and the county will have to lower their millage rates to reflect the change. Municipalities and the county are not permitted to collect more than 5 percent more in taxes and schools 10 percent more when a county ratio is changed.
Commissioners plan to formally vote on the new ratio at their meeting Tuesday. It will take effect when countywide reassessment is complete, they said.
However, it's still unclear when countywide reassessment will go into effect.
Commissioners have directed Pittsburgh attorney Sam Kamin to go to court to get reassessment delayed for a year. Kamin is expected to be in common pleas court Tuesday to present a motion to delay the reassessment.
The county is under a court-approved consent decree to complete reassessment this year. Commissioners agreed to the timetable after New Castle officials threatened a lawsuit. The city contends its residents are paying an unfair share of county taxes.
Discussing delay
City officials have pushed to keep countywide reassessment on the original timetable and planned to meet today to discuss the proposed delay.
City Solicitor James Manolis said he will explain the city's options to council in a closed-door meeting and then it will decide publicly how to proceed.
Manolis said he sees no reason to delay reassessment.
A written motion by Kamin contends that the county expects many appeals because there were problems with the methods used to calculate the new assessments.
The motion also states the county assessment appeals board will not have enough time to conduct hearings and render decisions before communities must set their new budgets and millage rates.
"Numerous successful challenges to the property values will likely result in budgetary shortfalls and disruptions in many local communities and school districts," Kamin's motion stated.
Commissioners have invited local elected officials and their solicitors to attend Tuesday's court hearing.