web1_choppedjunior02.jpg

Wilkes-Barre boy ‘chops’ his way to stardom on ‘Chopped Junior’

web1_HatBat.jpg

Aaron Yurko, Dallas baseball blank Wyoming Area

<p>After more than a year of sporadic debate, Luzerne County Council members plan to vote next week on a controversial $5 fee on vehicles registered to addresses within the county.</p><p>Four council votes are required to introduce the fee ordinance, with six votes needed at a future meeting for the fee to take effect.</p><p>State legislators authorized the fee in 2013 to provide counties with new revenue to help fund road and bridge maintenance expenses.</p><p>Eleven of the state&#8217;s 67 counties have enacted the fee to date, according to the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. York County officials also are considering the fee.</p><p>Luzerne County would generate an estimated $1 million annually through the fee, which would cover the lion&#8217;s share of its yearly $1.5 million in road and bridge expenses, officials said.</p><p>During a work session discussion last week, Councilman Rick Williams said that $1.5 million is part of a $130 million general fund operating budget funded primarily by property taxes, which make up 85 percent of revenue.</p><p>&#8220;So if you don&#8217;t own property in the county, you really don&#8217;t contribute to the general fund,&#8221; Williams said, characterizing the fee as a way of &#8220;diversifying revenue&#8221; and &#8220;sharing the burden of the cost of county government.&#8221;</p><p>Councilman Eugene Kelleher said he disagrees with a provision exempting companies and other entities with vehicle fleets from paying the fee. However, he said he will endure &#8220;slings and arrows&#8221; from critics and support the fee because the revenue must be earmarked for roads and bridges.</p><p>The county ended up owning and maintaining most of its 127 miles of roadway and 310 bridges during the Great Depression, when the court ordered a takeover because municipalities didn&#8217;t have the financial means to care for the infrastructure.</p><p>The county faces difficult budgetary decisions because the 2016 budget relied on $7 million in revenue that won&#8217;t be available again or is earmarked for other purposes.</p><p>Councilman Edward Brominski opposed the fee, saying it will still hurt property owners who own vehicles.</p><p>Councilwoman Jane Walsh Waitkus agreed, saying it&#8217;s a &#8220;double tax on property owners.&#8221;</p><p>Councilman Harry Haas said he&#8217;s torn because he supports seeking revenue from those who don&#8217;t pay property taxes, but many property owners have vehicles. He suggested decreasing the property tax rate based on the new revenue.</p><p>Kingston resident Brian Shiner, who regularly attends meetings, said an additional $5 is &#8220;asking too much. He disputed the argument the fee will force those who don&#8217;t own property to contribute because he believes all landlords factor their property tax payments into the rent.</p><p>Former councilman Stephen J. Urban, Wilkes-Barre, advised against the fee.</p><p>&#8220;How much are you going to nickle and dime the people?&#8221; he asked.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Luzerne_County-logo-use-this-one-7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Luzerne_County-logo-use-this-one-7.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County officials debate proposed $5 vehicle registration fee