William King 
Oc. 25, 1992 
William A. King, 85, Of Arthur, Ill., Formerly Of Forty Fort, Died Oct. 25 
After Returning From A Two-week Vacation In Canada.

Expensive Snag 
Stands In Way 
Of 'super Store' 
********************* 
Illustration 
13.5 Acre Tract Of Land 
Proposed For Site Of

Wednesday, December 16, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: WILKES-BARRE AREA
SCHOOL BOARD 





W-B AREA &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 City asks board to give back taxes from Percy Brown's &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The solicitor says the city needs the money to pay for past costs and help
offset future costs in the development of the former restaurant &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By DIONNE PEEPLES-SALAH &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WILKES-BARRE -- Some Wilkes-Barre Area School Board members see the city's
Percy Brown acquisition as a bargaining chip, and they want to use it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city's solicitor said, in a letter to the school board made public
Tuesday night, that the city wants the school district to forego $31,834.24 in
back taxes it would receive from the sale of the Percy Brown's property for
$71,500. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The letter said the city wants the school district to forego the tax monies
so the city can "recoup its past costs and help defer the future costs of
development." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city purchased the long-vacant Percy Brown's complex on East
Northampton Street in October during a tax sale. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But in a 6-3 vote Tuesday night, the school board once again postponed its
decision of whether to accept the city's proposal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The decision also was tabled in November. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ralph Scoda, the school district's business administrator, recommended the
board vote to accept about $15,000 rather than the entire amount the district
is entitled. Scoda's reasoning was because if the city had purchased the
complex for the minimum $1,801.93 opening bid, the tax claim bureau's cost,
the school district would have been entitled to a lot less money. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city was forced to buy the eyesore for $71,500 because car hauler
Robert Kadluboski drove up the price with his bids. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The three taxing bodies -- county, city and the school district --
technically would receive most of the money. The county has not given up its
share of back taxes, which is $9,550.67. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Scoda said $15,000 is a fair price since the school district spent about
$14,600 in various costs during the process of the city trying to purchase the
building. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Not to mention the state has agreed to accept a cut on the money it would
receive from the tax lien on the property, Scoda said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state accepted $7,500 of its entitled portion, saving the city $9,141,
the letter said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But school board member Sally Jervis cq said the board should use the
city's proposal as a leverage to get the city to take on the burden of paying
school crossing guard. Statewide, crossing guards are paid by the city. But in
Wilkes-Barre, the school board pays them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Alice Corba cq , another school board member, agreed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Maybe there could be a sign of tokenism and the city could assign a police
officer to one or two spots (where crossing guards usually are posted)," Corba
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If we're going to accept their position on the $31,000 and sacrifice some
good that could come to us, maybe in the same token, they'd be willing to give
us some consideration in exchange." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Board member Owen Costello cq sees the plan to use Percy Brown's as
leverage for crossing guards "is like mixing apples with oranges." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There are items they (city officials) can play hard ball with."

W-b Area 
City Asks Board 
To Give Back Taxes 
From Percy Brown's 
The Solicitor Says The City 
Needs The Money To Pay For Past 
Costs And Help Offset Future Costs

W-b Area City Asks Board To Give Back Taxes From Percy Brown's The Solicitor Says The City Needs The Money To Pay For Past Costs And Help Offset Future Costs