[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6268013,"mediaKeyId","3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac","parentId",3060043,"title","Lebanon County elections office completes testing, approves ballots and a guarded ballot drop‑off; mailings to start after testing","audioSeconds",421,"startMs",2475000,"endMs",2896000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac&start=2475&end=2896","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac/thumbnail_2475000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268013/Lebanon-County/Pennsylvania/Lebanon-County-elections-office-completes-testing-approves-ballots-and-a-guarded-ballot-dropoff-mailings-to-start-after-testing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268013-3a386f8ba236872c465bb59e611641bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209918&Signature=dJRc0UEUQk33a8IBuWdYCVt~63r5KydnkGth1jXuzVGDPklBJcmu-0ZwvSo~DPR~pKpz5WZLSt56JSN9QaYmzR0aHyROuUDtY9nhzMr8pwvFcGeWM~K747lwRKc2Nbbjlzltp76LyS7uRwoFX5NyoNXhMyUP0aqMZZ4iSk8VismrbaAl3pR6R48yZwGydJQ6eR6Yx0jWGZRObokEzOW8hf3UyprSXI3CZzCAWg7sdxKpVaKsKdcIUZqshxyt31spS-wV9nh5mqXVyAoEPjOc0KdFqSwNaOrQ-0ADfY7Z-kKynflUhJPsoAdEneX8jDpETeQ7ZFtyBZHf4DYC9C6eag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lebanon County, PA","date","2025-04-19T10:23:55.023Z","article","Lebanon County election officials told the board on April 17 that logic and accuracy testing for the upcoming election was nearly complete, the mail vendor has the ballot file ready, and mail ballots would be mailed once testing finishes.

Elections staff reported they had completed testing of central count equipment and ADA/express vote machines and were conducting remaining tests on DS200 precinct scanners. The office said the print vendor already has the mail‑in ballot file and that ballots should be mailed “perhaps tomorrow, definitely Monday,” pending completion of testing.

The elections board unanimously approved the ballot files that had been distributed to candidates and municipalities. Staff recommended establishing a guarded ballot drop‑off point at the elections office and said it should be deployed “the week from Monday.” Board members voted to open a guarded, staffed ballot drop‑off with limited hours and security measures and to keep it in place through election day. Elections staff said the guarded drop‑off will be monitored, covered by cameras, and equipped with a panic button that connects to the sheriff’s office; board members discussed using a uniformed, professional guard or a deputy sheriff for the site.

The board also discussed access to the drop‑off: poll workers will be instructed to allow voters to place their own ballot into the box one at a time if they wish, while staff retain control of chain‑of‑custody procedures. Staff said mail‑and‑vote requests have fallen from an earlier high and are currently around 7,000 requests.

Board members raised a separate, unresolved concern about a recent executive order and litigation in other jurisdictions that could affect the use of barcodes in some voting equipment (noting that some ADA machines use barcodes); election staff said most of the executive order content matches current local practices but that some language is ambiguous and could require legal review. The board said business will proceed as usual for now.

Ending: County elections staff expect ballots to go out shortly after testing; the board approved the ballot files and a guarded drop‑off and instructed staff on procedures intended to preserve chain of custody while accommodating voters.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","4/17/2025 Lebanon County Commissioner Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Election staff told the county elections board they were finishing logic and accuracy testing and that the mail vendor has ballot files ready; the board approved printing, authorized a guarded ballot drop‑off to be open from the week starting 'the week from Monday' through election day, and instructed staff on ballot‑drop procedures.","taxTitle","Lebanon County, Pennsylvania","taxId",4590,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268018,"Lebanon County commissioners grant $5,540 rollback‑tax abatement to school property in 2–1 vote",329,1620000,1949000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac&start=1620&end=1949","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac/thumbnail_1620000.jpg","/articles/6268018/Lebanon-County/Pennsylvania/Lebanon-County-commissioners-grant-5540-rollbacktax-abatement-to-school-property-in-21-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268018-e518eba57d0004582ab8f10e56d31570/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209918&Signature=P6wD7q7oaJ2vVIj-yXYju~8kLswI-RQ7gGci4KoDGQ9uRpm-sNK3lQcY2oeoL1TgSyuOE2MfIG9Ss40KHhEMXGSwndHg1Yme~riUDVG0B7Q4OTamxkN7g8u3E-5IEYxXm93aMlOI~tcPZgOyAgOo0Xj-ma6TwU8obesJ6oQ77cCF6SzeFF~iozHE-xKqnxFsMGktagVhumya9EcOck0Y9y5dHoVqS32RgW3rxxEfh9-noCyslbLJapeYgIBaeLioJz~nKrTYhH8VacpVSzcyIgOwdOGk94vG37xlrYkmQKyJqyP1ANO94V8Pz29-OYUf2ek8V4LFAuP3n0ev7deIvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lebanon County Board of Commissioners voted 2–1 on April 17 to forgive the county’s portion of rollback taxes tied to a parcel purchased by the LC Strong Foundation, the business entity that operates Our Lady of the Cross Catholic School.

County solicitor Matthew Beoble told commissioners the total county portion was approximately $5,540.76. The rollback arises because the parcel had been enrolled in the Clean and Green program and changed ownership. Beoble said the statute that governs rollback taxes gives local taxing bodies discretion to abate (forgive) part or all of the rollback in appropriate cases; other taxing bodies — the township and school district — also must act on their shares.

Beoble said the foundation had cited a statutory provision related to transfers to nonprofit or recreational uses, but he advised the board that that section likely did not apply because the parcel was not demonstrably going to be used “entirely for recreational purposes.” Instead he recommended consideration of the statutory discretion for religious organizations, which he judged applicable.

Commissioners debated precedent. An assessor present, Ted Connolly, reminded the board that a similar request about five years earlier in Palmyra had been denied by the county, though some other taxing authorities had granted relief in that case. Several commissioners noted letters of support from all four state legislators backing forgiveness in this instance. One commissioner said their “heart goes out” to the school but worried about setting a precedent and shifting the burden to other taxpayers. The motion to forgive the county’s portion passed on a 2–1 vote.

Ending: The county portion ($5,540.76) was forgiven; the transcript notes that the township and school district must take independent action on their shares.","The county approved forgiving its $5,540.76 share of rollback taxes after the LC Strong Foundation (our Lady of the Cross Catholic School) purchased a parcel that had been enrolled in the Clean and Green program; the board voted 2–1 after debate over precedent.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268023,"Residents, conservation groups urge Lebanon County to delay sale of east-side parcel that includes wetland headwaters",588,58000,646000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac&start=58&end=646","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060043-bde796cbb794eb4d8789a9d49fa7a0ac/thumbnail_58000.jpg","/articles/6268023/Lebanon-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-conservation-groups-urge-Lebanon-County-to-delay-sale-of-east-side-parcel-that-includes-wetland-headwaters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268023-6c60332b2482ecc740da62361df948c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209918&Signature=DHHMM7bwXAZYcD2nAGMaUOC5OVCUb6v7I~b08BHfigRIFWw48VFrUZzXRkr-OolGlj-lbU6rLWZKCeFFmErTFily4voswjVgOEFtUspk0Pv3ZL2snNylC6A1C04sCybhC1yF7Ej6xD3cNQiBjQUBvXcnLJ3AOFCHDIBsWGJZq5e8AmKtVJprCd9dc4D6~yCLgOwb5Dv~u-19sdGJLO1ak4sngzhY0OjG9-WgWCvlY348w3ihwKkppR5Q8c3L7mZMxpyvC7D3qpu81LvgcegLB8f8BriHQuVYB47nBmbcfxE18QdhUD91HIHIZbOKOG15FSpp49GJoWz8yFs-mpoWfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents and local conservation groups urged the Lebanon County Board of Commissioners on April 17 to postpone any sale or approval of development on county-owned land on the city’s east side that includes about 6 acres of wetland at the headwaters of Quidditch Hill Creek.

Michael Schroeder, president of the all‑volunteer Put It To Heal the Watershed Association, told commissioners the association had submitted a letter outlining concerns about the parcel and its role as “a giant sponge during high rain event[s]” that helps limit downstream flooding and protects a polluted ecosystem that runs through densely developed parts of the city. Schroeder asked that the association “be given a seat at the table in any future discussions” about the property, that the county delay any final sale until an environmental impact review is completed and made public, and that any developer submit detailed plans for the site, including stormwater management details.

Representatives of Trout Unlimited joined the public comment. Rich De Stanislow, president of the Doc Fritchey chapter, and Russ Collins, the chapter’s conservation officer and the chapter representative to the state leadership council, described prior conservation investments in the watershed and warned that development at the headwaters could increase downstream flows and risk stormwater damage. Collins cited recent, multi‑million dollar restoration work the organization and partners have secured in the wider watershed and said placing a gas‑station style facility adjacent to a wetland creates a pollution risk.

Concerned long‑time resident Ken Wolfier said the parcel, near where Walnut Street becomes Eighth Avenue, has been the focus of decades of cleanup and park work and would be harmed by an impervious‑surface commercial development. He suggested alternative uses such as a visitor center and noted local investments to restore nearby stream habitat.

Speakers identified a developer named in press reporting as Bruce Thaler of BT Lebanon LLC and said local reporting first publicized the prospect of a sale. Commenters also said the county’s comprehensive plan is nearly a decade out of date and argued that county staff cannot determine whether a proposed development fits the plan until the plan is updated.

Commissioners acknowledged the comments and thanked the volunteers and organizations for their work; no formal action or vote on the parcel sale occurred during the meeting.

Ending: The public comment makes clear local environmental groups and nearby residents want a formal role, an environmental review, and developer stormwater plans before the county proceeds. Commissioners did not take a final vote on the property at the April 17 meeting.","Residents and conservation groups asked the Lebanon County Board of Commissioners to delay any sale of county land on the city’s east side that includes about 6 acres of wetlands serving as headwaters for Quidditch Hill Creek, and to require environmental review and detailed stormwater plans before any developer receives county approval.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lebanon County elections office completes testing, approves ballots and a guarded ballot drop‑off; mailings to start after testing

Lebanon County commissioners grant $5,540 rollback‑tax abatement to school property in 2–1 vote

Residents, conservation groups urge Lebanon County to delay sale of east-side parcel that includes wetland headwaters