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OT costs climb in Oct. draft financial report for Wilkes-Barre

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Opening day of deer season provides opportunity for family bonding

<p>Salem Township was the winner in real estate tax base gain since June with 8 percent growth, a review of new Luzerne County assessment records shows.</p><p>The addition of $40.9 million in new construction brought the township&#8217;s total taxable property to $552.1 million.</p><p>This increase stems from one property &#8212; the new Caithness Moxie Freedom Generating Station, records show. With the help of an outside expert, the county recently valued the station complex at $42.2 million. It&#8217;s unclear if the owner will contest the new value.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre Township ranks second in growth in the newly released Nov. 7 tax base reading, with an increase of $20.7 million, or 3.87 percent.</p><p>The lion&#8217;s share is from the Arena Hub Plaza assessment, which was raised $19 million due to the Wilkes-Barre Area School District&#8217;s reverse appeal arguing the old value was too low, records show. The 58.4-acre shopping center is now assessed at $55.74 million.</p><p>With the gains, the township&#8217;s total tax base is now $555.7 million.</p><p>In all, 29 of the county&#8217;s 76 municipalities had tax base increases.</p><p>The others with growth over 1 percent, along with their new total tax base amounts: Wright Township, 1.68 percent, $607.3 million; Nanticoke, 1.63 percent, $377.7 million; White Haven, 1.24 percent, $57.8 million; Franklin Township, 1.22 percent, $133.4 million; and Hanover Township, 1.07 percent, $674.2 million.</p><p>Tiny Jeddo borough is the only municipality with no change, keeping a base of $3 million.</p><p><strong>Shrinking bases</strong></p><p>Hazle Township sustained the greatest hit during the period, losing $47.5 million, or 3.2 percent, of its value.</p><p>The blow came primarily from a $42 million assessment reduction for the Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate plant in the Humboldt Industrial Park. The owner had challenged an unusually high reverse appeal increase to $65 million, resulting in a new assessment of $23 million.</p><p>After losses, the township&#8217;s total tax base was reduced to $1.44 billion.</p><p>The township still has the highest tax base in the county, followed by Wilkes-Barre, the county seat.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre picked up $2.6 million in assessed value since June, bringing its base to $1.41 billion. </p><p>On the losing side, Shickshinny was next in line, with a $591,300 decline in assessed value, or 2.45 percent. Its base is now $23.5 million.</p><p>Kingston came in third, with a 2.18 percent decline amounting to $16.3 million, leaving a base of $732.6 million.</p><p>A contributor was a reduction granted to First Hospital in Kingston through an assessment challenge. Initially assessed at $21.2 million, the value of the Wyoming Avenue property was lowered to $9.8 million for 2018 and $9.65 million in 2019 and forward, records show.</p><p>After factoring in growth and decline, the tax base increased a net $20 million countywide, or 0.1 percent, for a new total value of $20.26 billion. The gain equates to $119,500 in additional revenue for the county under its current tax rate.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_luzcocourthouse01-6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </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>

Tax base gains and losses revealed in new Luzerne County report