Lock Haven to challenge tax-exempt status for Bellefonte Avenue property

LOCK HAVEN, PA – City Council Monday night agreed to file an appeal challenging the tax-exempt status of the building housing the state Assistance Office at 300 Bellefonte Avenue.

The property, consisting of five parcels in all, is owned by the Stephen Girard Trust of Philadelphia. That entity has been found by the courts in the past as exempt from paying real estate taxes. City council moved to file an appeal with the Clinton County Board of Assessments, challenging that status.

City Manager Greg Wilson had been charged by council earlier to look closely at the city real estate tax rolls, those that are listed as tax exempt in the city’s limits.

He told The Record that after discussion with the city solicitor, it appears, at least from the city’s perspective, that 300 Bellefonte Avenue does not meet the qualification under the law for a wholly tax exempt parcel.  He said that in addition to the assistance office, the parcels also contain a commercial business, Family Dollar, and that store’s adjacent parking lot. He said these are not uses that enable tax exempt status.  According to the city solicitor, the manager said, a property must be both publicly owned and publicly used to qualify for exemption.

Council member Richard Morris was the lone no vote in a 6-1 council approval to file the appeal. He believes that state Commonwealth Court has upheld the tax exemption of the owner in other municipalities and he is not confident of the appeal outcome locally.

A check by The Record with the Clinton County Assessment Office earlier Monday brought word that a similar local appeal had been filed a decade ago, but was ultimately unsuccessful in the courts.

Council Monday did unanimously approve a resolution in support of pending legislation to allow the use of traffic radar by local police forces in the state. Manager Wilson said Pennsylvania is the only state not giving municipal police that authority.