A total $2.6 million in property has been added to Luzerne County’s tax rolls due to data from a new software program that detects missed buildings, according to county Manager C. David Pedri’s new August division head summary.
The additional assessed value equates to $15,583 in new tax revenue for the county. Applicable municipalities and school districts also will receive revenue based on their tax rates.
Purchased from Rochester-based Pictometry International Corp., the software flags all building footprint changes that occurred between flyovers in 2008 and 2016.
The county assessor’s office has been reviewing approximately 12,000 structures and additions detected by this software to determine if any have been missed by the office. It was unclear how many properties on the list have been reviewed to date.
County officials have predicted revenue from added properties eventually will exceed the $50,000 software purchase.
The assessor’s office said some municipalities may not be forwarding or adequately enforcing building permits that alert the office to new construction.
In other financial updates, Pedri’s report, posted at www.luzernecounty.org, said the county has collected $104.1 million in real estate taxes through the end of August, or 95.4 percent of the budgeted amount for the year.
This is an improvement from 2016, when 94.6 percent was received through August, it said.
A five-member county committee also is reviewing proposals from financial institutions interested in handling the county’s banking. The committee reviewed the proposals and conducted interviews and intends to present its recommendations at the Sept. 26 county council work session.
PNC Bank had been selected to handle the county’s banking in September 2013. Seeking proposals again may yield additional savings, Pedri has said.
Pedri expects to present the proposed 2018 budget to council on Oct. 10.
Preliminary 2018 budget data has been tabulated for all divisions and departments, and division head meetings with budget/finance and the county manager started Sept. 5, Pedri said.
