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Public urges study of LERTA tax breaks; board weighs budget options that would add about $3.7 million under Act 1 index
Summary
A Hazleton resident urged the board to study tax‑break impacts from LERTA (particularly for data centers) and questioned why the district recommended the Act 1 index maximum, which district officials said would raise about $3.7 million on an almost $300 million budget; the board approved grouped finance items with some recorded 'no' votes.
A Hazleton resident, Ashley Bart, told the Hazleton Area School District board she sees a need for an impact study before the district issues LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) letters for projects such as data centers, arguing that the district and municipalities should quantify the lost tax revenue before approving abatements.
“We need to take a deeper scrutiny,” Bart said during public comment, asking the board to consider that the district could be “giving up” revenue for projects that may not deliver proportional community benefits.
A district official responding to the public comment said the board evaluated five budget options; three were not economically feasible. The official said the Luzerne option would raise about $2.7 million while the recommended option — using the Act 1 index maximum provided by state law — would bring roughly $3.7 million. The official noted the district budget is approaching $300 million, so the recommended increase would be about a 1% uptick on total expenditures and is intended to cover growth‑related costs such as staffing and school openings.
In routine business the board approved multiple grouped finance items (agenda items 68–103) and motions to pay bills. The board recorded several 'no' votes on line items (members named nays on items 70, 71, 74, 76, 78, 79, 81 and 85). The record also shows a clerical clarification in finance: item 81 blank should state $734,709.42 and item 83 should read 'Fidelity Bank.'
A board member questioned a recurring payment to Samson Productions (check number 1542556), noting $1,000 a month for a half‑hour program with relatively small viewership.
The board did not take a formal vote on a LERTA moratorium during the meeting; officials said LERTA requests are handled case‑by‑case and no separate policy was before the board. Several members and the public urged clearer study of economic impacts before approving future abatements.
