MERCER CO. SCHOOL Farrell board votes to swap back taxes for construction

The district had no hope of ever collecting the back taxes, an official said.
FARRELL, Pa. -- The Farrell Area School Board has agreed to give up about $5,000 in back taxes on a property at 1018 Emerson Avenue in exchange for new construction on the residential site.
The school board voted Monday to join the city of Farrell and Mercer County in petitioning Mercer County Common Pleas Court to write off the delinquent tax debt on the property.
The move will cost the school district about $5,000 in back taxes, said Superintendent Richard Rubano, adding that the district really had no hope of ever collecting that debt.
The action clears the way for Community Action Partnership of Mercer County to build a new house on that lot which will generate new taxes to the three taxing bodies, he said.
Ron Errett, chief executive officer for Community Action, said forgiving the back taxes is really coming after the fact.
Built house on site
He said his agency has bought the property and already built a new house on the site. It has only to add an attached garage to complete the project.
Normally, securing court forgiveness of taxes would occur before construction, but a change in solicitors for his agency resulted in that detail being overlooked, he said.
The house is the fifth in Community Partnership's Farrell Homebuyer Program designed to provide homes for low- and moderate-income families.
Errett said a buyer hasn't been selected yet for the Emerson Avenue house.
The property has to be appraised and will be sold at the appraisal value, he said, estimating that number between $40,000 and $45,000.