Scranton council assails school board over tax breaks
Published: July 1, 2009
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
e-mail this
share thisThe Scranton City Council majority on Tuesday berated the Scranton School Board for rejecting controversial tax breaks for all but one developer.
Councilwoman Sherry Nealon Fanucci, who last week was among those who agreed to extend the tax-free status of seven properties, said the school board was short-sighted to deny economic incentives. She questioned the wisdom of the vote and called it "Scranton politics at its absolute worst."
The debate over renewing Keystone Opportunity Zones dominated council meetings for nearly a month before city lawmakers approved seven and denied 14. At a special meeting Saturday, school directors OK'd just one of the KOZs that made it through council - an assisted-living facility proposed by the Green Ridge Health Care Center.
Each application to renew these undeveloped KOZs needed approval from the county, school district and city to be considered by the state.
Voting 8-1 in favor of the senior center, the school board majority said it was the only KOZ with merit. Directors otherwise derided KOZs as a drain on the tax base.
Council President Bob McGoff said he was happy to see an extension pass, but he doesn't understand why only Green Ridge Health Care owner Michael Kelly won the board's preference.
"If they were philosophically opposed (to KOZs), they should have voted against all of them," he said.
Councilwoman Janet Evans, the lone vote against all the KOZ extensions, thanked the school directors for their "fiscally responsible votes."
Ms. Fanucci said because other municipalities have extended KOZs, the board took away a "competitive edge" from Scranton in the name of petty politics. She also singled out Director Chris Phillips, who she said was hypocritical for assailing KOZs when the company he works for has benefited from similar tax breaks under the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Act, known as LERTA.
Mr. Phillips said he does believe his employer, a national retailer he declined to name, received state tax incentives, but he dismissed Ms. Fanucci's comparison as off base. He said he weighed the KOZs on their facts, while "politics and personalities had nothing to do with it."
In other business, council gave final approval Tuesday to a new traffic light at West Linden Street and North Eighth Avenue. The intersection will serve as the entrance to the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center, which was among the high-profile developments denied a KOZ extension.
Council also accepted six public roads and the storm drainage infrastructure at the Keyser Terrace subdivision in West Scranton.
Contact the writer: jburton@timesshamrock.com
27 posted comments
There is a upset doomer using my Legion of Dopes name. Judy called off sick. Hmmmm is she playing hooky again? Andy S was at the top of the order this week. Les has been benched for poor performance. Andy was complaining about the campaign spending for Doherty/Dibileo battle. Andy, if Gary D had 560,000 dollars to spend, he would have spent it. Now shut up about that and move on. The election is over. Your boy lost. Ozzie was on deck. He looked like he just rolled out of the Hollywood Tan Salon. He was happy the school board voted down the KOZ's ( except for 1). He seemed to be on the ball this week. Maybe its all of that Vitamin D hes getting from the sun.Marie S was also happy with the School board. There was a suspicious black fly swirling around her while she spoke. Lets get a fly swatter at that podium next week.Ronnie Elman , member of the unbiased Scr. tax payer asso, woke up to speak next. He didnt know what day it was. He talked about how Detroit just attracted 100 million dollar project developement without KOZ's. Ronnie, Detroit has 2 million people that live there. We have almost 80,000. KOZ's are used to attract people to areas with smaller populations. Thats why we need them to attract certain busineses. Go back to the Tarus club and have a few Labatts. Jeannie was up next. She had an America the Beauty shirt on. She's a beauty alright.Check the tag on the back of that shirt, probably made in Pakistan. Dobbers was next. This guy is everywhere. He's downtown, in South Side, Nay aug, walking around checking things out. Lets make him a patrolling inspecter. If not, GET A JOB Dobbers. He also wanted to give legal advice to the KOZ residential people. Gavel please!!. FayK F was there and congratulated the school board. She didnt yell at anyone this week. Brett the " employee" Mcloe was up next. He talked about employee rights ...blah blah blah.....He sounded more like a disgruntled employee who needed to vent at our expense!!! Brett, the podium isnt your human resource office. Frank Tyson was the last too speak. There s a big party at nay Aug July 4th. Music, Guest Speaker, minature flags and drinks. starts at 10:30 or 11:00 am. get their folks!!!