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<p>The Walmart stores in Pittston and Hazle townships have both obtained assessment reductions, a new Luzerne County refund report shows.</p><p>In Pittston Township, the Walmart along Route 315 includes two parcels that had been assessed at a total $14.6 million.</p><p>The new assessment: $11.75 million, or a reduction of $2.8 million.</p><p>With the lower value, the business will pay a total $266,812 in school, county and municipal taxes, or $64,603 less.</p><p>The value of the Hazle Township Walmart, located on Airport Road, was lowered from $16.6 million to $13.95 million, reducing its total tax bill from $287,302 to $241,074.</p><p>Both reductions stemmed from the same court challenge filed by Walmart Stores Inc. in 2014, records show.</p><p>Due to inactivity in the case, the county issued a notice in November 2017 indicating it would be terminated, prompting Walmart to file a statement of intention to proceed later that year. A court order setting the new amount was posted to the court docket in December.</p><p>Inactivity notices were issued to numerous parties that filed assessment challenges in 2017 because council members and the administration were concerned about the unknown financial liability of pending cases.</p><p>Refunds for assessment reductions date back to the year challenges were filed, which have resulted in past big-ticket surprises.</p><p>In this case, the county had to refund a total $126,812 in taxes from 2015 through 2018 for the Walmart properties. That does not include money that had to be returned by the school districts and municipalities.</p><p>County council budgeted $450,000 to cover refunds in 2019, which was a reduction from the $500,000 requested by the administration.</p><p>The county paid $352,000 in refunds in 2018, when $500,000 was budgeted, according to a budget report presented to council last month. Refunds cost the county $416,000 in 2017.</p><p>On average, 1,500 new appeals are filed annually, including both residential and larger commercial properties, officials have said.</p><p>Despite ongoing assessment challenges, the county tax base continues to grow due to gains from new construction, records show.</p><p>The tax base was $20.36 billion in January, according to the latest snapshot reading. That&#8217;s an increase of $102 million since the last reading in November.</p><p>The county added 40 parcels since November, for a new overall total of 167,816, the reading shows.</p><p>The Walmart in Wilkes-Barre Township is not a standalone property like the other two because it is part of the Wilkes-Barre Township Marketplace on Highland Park Boulevard, which includes other adjacent businesses and a separate strip mall. Owned by Sunshine Market Inc., this 38-acre complex is assessed at $21.1 million, records show.</p><p>Monthly county assessment refunds are posted on the assessor&#8217;s section at <a href="https://pa-luzernecounty.civicplus.com/Archive.aspx?AMID=59" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org</a>. </p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>2 stores see tax payments decrease</subheadMeta></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>

Two Luzerne County Walmart stores receive assessment reductions