Program to spur economic growth via tax breaks expands

David Hulse
Posted 8/21/12

MILFORD, PA — The number of Pike municipalities offering tax benefits to businesses developing LERTA-certified properties expanded by one last week.

Pennsylvania’s Local Economic …

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Program to spur economic growth via tax breaks expands

Posted

MILFORD, PA — The number of Pike municipalities offering tax benefits to businesses developing LERTA-certified properties expanded by one last week.

Pennsylvania’s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act (LERTA) allows local taxing authorities to provide for tax exemption for certain deteriorated industrial, commercial and other business property and for new construction in deteriorated areas of economically depressed communities.

Lehman Township, one of the townships hit hardest by the recent recession, joined Lackawaxen, Blooming Grove, Delaware and Shohola with the county commissioners’ affirmative June 3 vote.

LERTA allow those participating businesses to enter into a program of graduated property tax credits, usually beginning at 100% the first year, then declining annually over the term, usually five to 10 years.

While a township may certify all properties, Commissioner Karl Wagner noted that businesses located on multiple properties only get the tax break on LERTA-certified parcels.

All three Pike County school districts have also followed suit on LERTA certifications.

But the program has not been universally accepted in Pike, Wagner added.

“I attended the (June 2) Westfall meeting, where they turned it down, probably with justifiable cause,” he said, noting that Westfall already has municipal water and sewage, which are attractive to new business.

In addition to Westfall, Dingman, Milford, Palmyra and Porter townships do not offer LERTA tax benefits.

Commissioner Matt Osterberg said Greene Township is soon expected to join the LERTA group.

Osterberg also reported on the first project of the Pike County Tick-Borne Diseases Task Force, an informational rack card/bookmark.

The task force is also arranging several prevention programs for outdoor workers and plans to meet with the Pike Conservation District in the coming month to discuss surveys of tick populations, similar to work done previously to locate gypsy moth infestations, he said. For more on the task force, visit pikepa.org/tick.html.

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