Luzerne County council tables standardized LERTA fee schedule after hours of debate

Luzerne County Council on Tuesday postponed a vote on a proposed standardized fee and abatement schedule for future Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) requests after more than an hour of discussion and public comment.

Council members and economic development stakeholders debated whether the schedule would provide useful negotiating parameters or unfairly limit local discretion. Supporters said a standard schedule helps county managers and prospective developers understand expectations; opponents said the draft either lacks “teeth” or would deter investment that could reclaim mined, contaminated land.

The dispute centered on competing goals: encouraging developers to clean and reuse mine‑scarred properties while protecting taxpayers from open‑ended abatements. John Lombardo, chairman of Luzerne County Council, warned the schedule could “send shock waves” and “tell people Luzerne County is anti growth,” saying he feared it would discourage developers. By contrast, Councilman Jason Sabatino, who led the committee that drafted the schedule, called it a “middle ground” that gives the county negotiating parameters while allowing council oversight.

Public commenters and economic development professionals also weighed in. John Augustine of Penns Northeast urged council to convene economic development professionals before final action, saying the council lacked sufficient industry context. Mark Raybo of Hazleton and Controller Walter Griffith said history shows blanket, 100% abatements can become precedent and that LERTA is often used to enable development on otherwise undevelopable coal‑scarred land.

Rather than adopt the schedule at the voting session, Councilwoman Jennifer Stevenson moved to table the resolution and invite additional stakeholders — including Penns Northeast and developers — to a work session for further discussion. The motion to table carried unanimously.

Council members said they want to balance taxpayer protection with attracting investment to increase the county tax base and reclaim damaged land; they also asked staff to gather more comparative examples from neighboring counties and to clarify legal constraints.

The tabling means no standardized schedule will be adopted this month; council directed staff to schedule additional briefings and to include interested economic development organizations in follow‑up sessions. The item will be reconsidered after those meetings.