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Assembly approves tax-sale ordinance with limited exemptions after residents request extensions
Summary
At the public hearing for Ordinance 26-023 (sale of delinquent borough property), several property owners described hardship and sought extensions; the assembly amended the tax-sale list to remove several properties from the sale and granted one-year grace periods in specific cases.
The assembly opened a public hearing March 17 on Ordinance 26-023, which would approve sale of borough-owned parcels that became delinquent in property taxes (delinquencies dating to 2019 and prior). Multiple property owners and residents spoke and asked for extensions or payment plans, describing personal hardship, medical bills and misunderstandings about exemptions.
Several speakers requested more time. Angela Springer (formerly Angela Hall) described burial of a family member on her property and said she had been misinformed about exemptions; she asked for time to bring her taxes current. Other speakers — including Robert/Galekovich, Kara Hellman (Cara Schulen), and Joe Kelly — asked for extensions and described health or probate complications that delayed payment.
Clerk and staff explained tax-sale procedures: property owners have until the sale date (tentatively scheduled for early June) to bring accounts current; if the assembly removes a property from the sale list, that owner typically receives a one-year grace period to cure the delinquency. The assembly approved amendments to strike specific parcel identifiers from the sale list after members noted evidence of payments or first-time appearance at the hearing.
Outcome: Ordinance 26-023 passed as amended, with several properties removed from the immediate sale list and staff directed to follow up on payment progress and timelines. Owners were reminded that full account payment is required to remove a property from the sale list unless the assembly explicitly grants a longer grace period.
