NEW CASTLE Fighting county on tax delay

Officials say the reassessment was fair and the appeals process will take care of any problems.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle council has decided to fight any delay in implementing countywide reassessment.
At a special meeting Friday, council directed city solicitor James Manolis to oppose a motion that Lawrence County officials are expected to file next week in common pleas court.
Lawrence County commissioners have said they want to delay reassessment because they don't believe the new property values are accurate. Their attorney is expected to appear Tuesday in common pleas court to request a hearing on the matter.
In a legal brief prepared for Tuesday's court appearance, the county contends that there will be numerous property assessment appeals and the county appeals board will not have enough time to sort through it all before municipalities and school districts must set their new budgets. The end result will be budget shortfalls for many municipalities, the legal brief said.
City officials, however, have always maintained that the reassessment is fair and the appeals process will take care of any problems.
The city forced reassessment because officials believed that city residents were paying an unfair share of county taxes. The city and county signed a consent decree four years ago agreeing that reassessment would be completed this year.
Reaction
County Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said he is not surprised by council's decision to oppose the county's proposed delay of reassessment.
"The city council members need to look at the effect this is going to have on the people they represent. When the tax burden is shifted to those who do not have the ability to pay, it's just not fair," he said.
Fosnaught has maintained that people with the least ability to pay more real estate taxes will see an increase after reassessment and those with more ability to pay higher taxes will see no change or get reductions in their tax bills.
County officials have also questioned the methods used to compile the new fair market values by the company they hired to do reassessment.