First Posted: 2/3/2015
WEST PITTSTON — Council approved the motion the motion to exonerate, or relive the duties of, tax collector George Miller from the responsibility of the 2014 uncollected real estate taxes, totaling $63,606.90.
According to council, the approval of the exoneration is annual and done at the beginning of every February.
“At the end of every year George Miller is required to reconcile his accounts to show what was collected and what was not collected for borough real estate taxes,” said Bonita. “What he does is he shows that the current amount has been uncollected and by law we have to approve the exoneration. Then what he does is he lawfully has to turn it over to the county to show it is uncollected and that relieves him of this obligation and it becomes the Luzerne County Tax Claim Borough, it’s their responsibility to collect it from that point on.”
Council also approved to enter into a Polling Place Agreement as prepared by the municipal building as well as the borough garage by and between Luzerne County and the Borough of West Pittston.
According to Borough Manager Savino Bonita, the purpose of the approval is to use both the municipal building and garage as voting places when election time rolls around.
“The municipal building and our public works place are voting places for the people to vote,” said Bonita. “And the county sent to us a Polling Place Rental Agreement just to acknowledge that we have the facility and we’re going to provide the facility with both (the municipal building) and public works facility on Delaware Avenue to be used as a voting hall.”
Other motions approved by council included:
• Ratify the payroll of Jan. 9 in the amount of $26,060.49 and Jan. 23 in the amount of $22,982.04 to total $49,042.53.
• Approve General Fund bills of $48,623.48 as well as prepaid bills of $57,763.51.
• Approve Sewer Maintenance Fund bills totaling $11,098.94.
• Pay $573 to Stackhouse Auto Electric in Exeter for work done on a borough police vehicle.
• Appoint three part-time police officers at an hourly rate of $11.30 on an as needed basis. Officers appointed were Michael Haley of Exeter, Chris Biscotto of West Pittston and Bryan Mock of Wilkes-Barre.
The next council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3.
