Lackawanna County approves quarterly installment plan for county and library real estate taxes

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 15 approved a resolution establishing a quarterly installment payment plan for county and library real estate taxes beginning with the 2026 tax year. Under the plan, installments are due on the last working day of March, June, August and October, and a 20% penalty is applied to any installment not paid by its due date. The resolution becomes effective 10 days after approval.

Don Frederickson, county solicitor, described the measure as a way to help taxpayers make payments on a schedule similar to the City of Scranton and Scranton School District. "We're doing an installment plan, which is similar to one implemented by the City of Scranton to allow our taxpayers to make payments quarterly as opposed to all at one time," Frederickson said.

Commissioner Bill Gahan framed the change as a response to constituent concerns about the difficulty of paying a single annual tax bill, saying the plan "gives them flexibility. It gives them breathing room." The board voted by voice to approve the resolution (25-0248).

The board separately approved a retroactive statement of work (resolution 25-0255) with RBA Professional Data Systems for a one-time $4,200 fee to generate and distribute the new installment tax bills. County staff said the contract is intended to make the billing change operational before the new installment program takes effect.