REAL ESTATE TAX Petition supports collection change

Commissioners do not seem to favor using municipal tax collectors.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A petition with about 1,600 signatures supporting the Lawrence County Tax Collectors Association's quest to collect county real estate taxes was given to county commissioners Thursday.
Jackie Gorgacz, Scott Township's tax collector, said the petitions were circulated in July and August and contain names of people from every municipality in the county.
Municipal tax collectors have been working for the last few years to change the county's method of real estate tax collection.
The county is one of only four named in a state law -- the Venango Act -- that requires the county treasurer to collect county real estate taxes. Most other counties allow municipal tax collectors to collect county taxes along with school and municipal taxes.
Focus on Felasco
County tax collectors say they have been advocating a change for some time, but their proposal gained greater attention after it was revealed in February 2004 that county Treasurer Gary Felasco was not paying his own county real estate taxes.
Felasco was charged Sept. 7 with theft, embezzlement and other charges. He is accused of taking more than $40,000 from his office for personal use.
"The problems with Felasco got us on our feet and got this going, but it was something we were questioning for many years," Gorgacz said.
Legislature's response
Any change in tax collection must be approved by the state Legislature. The House of Representatives approved the change earlier this year, but the state Senate has not acted on the proposal.
State Sen. Gerald LaValle of Rochester, D-47th, said he and state Sen. Robert Robbins of Greenville, R-50th, met with the tax collectors Thursday and told them they would not support the change without a majority of county commissioners favoring it.
"If the county commissioners aren't on board with this, then we are not going to jam it down their throats," he said.
Commissioners' sentiments
Gorgacz said members of the tax collectors association want to meet with commissioners to discuss the matter.
But it appears the majority of commissioners do not favor the change.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said he would only favor a change if an independent study could prove that it will cost less to have the local elected tax collectors take on the extra responsibility. No studies have been completed.
It's unclear how municipal tax collectors would be paid, but Gorgacz said one proposal would pay them $3 for every parcel where taxes are collected. There are about 60,000 parcels in the county.
Commissioner Steve Craig said he is not in favor of a change because he believes the current system works well.
Craig noted that recent problems with Felasco do not reflect on the system but on the person.
"The system has problems right now because of Gary Felasco, but that will pass. I don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water," Craig said.
Craig said he likes the fact that the treasurer's office collects county real estate taxes five days a week, eight hours each day. He said some municipal tax collectors have limited times to collect taxes.
Craig also noted that the city of New Castle -- the county's largest municipality -- is not interested in collecting county real estate taxes.
Gorgacz said the association believes it would be more convenient for people to pay taxes to their municipal tax collector.
cioffi@vindy.com