LAWRENCE COUNTY One-stop taxing is goal of collectors

Problems with the county treasurer have spurred the movement.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County's municipal tax collectors are looking to organize and possibly become one stop for all real estate taxes.
Elected municipal tax collectors are meeting tonight at the county government center to discuss forming a local tax collector's association and taking on collecting county real estate taxes, said Jackie Gorgacz, tax collector for Scott Township.
Lawrence County has 25 elected tax collectors collecting real estate taxes for schools and municipalities. New Castle has an elected treasurer and a professional office staff doing its tax collection, and SNPJ borough shares a tax collector with North Beaver Township.
Municipal tax collectors work from their homes, the community municipal building or offices.
County taxes must be paid to the county treasurer at the Lawrence County Government Center in New Castle.
Lawrence is one of a handful of counties that follow a 19th century law -- called the Venango Act -- that designates the county treasurer to collect county real estate taxes.
Other counties
Beaver, Greene, Washington and Chester counties also designate the county treasurer to collect real estate taxes. All others, except three with home rule charters, have municipal tax collectors taking in county real estate taxes.
"We just feel as the local tax collectors, we are in touch with the people in our municipalities. We feel it would be more efficient for the county to have us collect the taxes," Gorgacz said.
Gorgacz and Doreen Vitullo, tax collector in Union Township, say this is the right time to push for municipal tax collection of county taxes because of the problems recently revealed about Lawrence County Treasurer Gary Felasco.
Felasco has come under fire since February, when it was revealed that he and his wife, Jeanine, had not paid real estate taxes on their Cunningham Avenue home since 2000. Improper "court stays" were placed on the property, allowing it to escape the county's yearly tax sale. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the matter.
Felasco's performance as treasurer has also come under more scrutiny, and transactions he made from the county liquid fuels and mental health-mental retardation accounts to the county general fund are also being questioned.
Felasco could not be reached to talk about handing over tax collection duties to municipal collectors.
Gorgacz said she believes handing over the duties will save the county money. The elected collectors would receive some compensation, but she said the county could then cut the staff and space needed for the county treasurer's office.
Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler said he's willing to listen to any proposals that would save the county money. He plans to attend tonight's meeting.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught did not want to comment on the matter and Commissioner Steve Craig is on vacation and could not be reached.
Gorgacz and Vitullo say their meeting tonight is also about organizing local tax collectors and possibly getting everyone on the same system. They now use varied computer programs and some are still doing work by hand, they said.
However, they are unsure how they must go about repealing the law that was passed before 1874 by the state Legislature designating Lawrence County's treasurer to collect county real estate taxes.
Pat Kielty of the Pennsylvania Local Government Commission said that before 1874, the state Legislature was more involved in local issues and passed laws that pertained to specific counties, such as the Venango Act.
Kielty said he believes it would take action by the state Legislature to repeal that law. But Gorgacz said Beaver County's municipal tax collectors are also organizing an effort to take over county tax collection and believe it could be done with a vote of county commissioners.
Emiline Weiss, president of the Pennsylvania State Tax Collectors Association, said she believes having municipal tax collectors take in county taxes saves money. She handles tax collection for a community that straddles Montgomery and Bucks counties, and said one tax bill is sent and residents write one check to pay all their real estate taxes.
cioffi@vindy.com