Cuts reduce Luzerne County’s proposed 2026 real estate tax increase from 1.9% to 1.5%

Luzerne County’s proposed 2026 real estate tax increase has been reduced from 1.9% to 1.5% due to cuts approved last week, county Budget and Finance Division Head Mary Roselle said Tuesday.

For a residence assessed at the median $95,500, county taxes would rise $9 annually with a 1.5% increase instead of the $12 more per year that had been proposed in the original budget.

County Council is set to vote on the budget Dec. 9, and Councilman Harry Haas has proposed additional budget amendments for consideration before final adoption.

The cuts previously approved by the council ended up reducing the proposed budget by a net $542,000, Roselle said.

To avoid any increase, a council majority would have to agree on an additional $1.86 million in new revenue or spending reductions, analysis shows.

Haas’ new suggested amendments, which he sent to fellow council members on Tuesday, include a $150,000 cut for the law division’s “special legal services.”

County Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene is seeking a $403,957 increase in this category, which would elevate the total allocation from $832,229 to $1.236 million.

During his recent public budget presentation, Skene said this expense covers both the solicitor’s and conflict counsel offices. The conflict counsel office represents the indigent when public defender’s office attorneys have conflicts.

Skene said special legal services largely cover county liability insurance contract requirements to pay outside legal counsel and sometimes litigation settlements that fall below deductibles ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.

He emphasized the county has comprehensive meetings with all insurance carriers, adjusters working on cases, and outside attorneys assigned to handle them to “try to keep costs down and handle cases more efficiently.”

Haas told Skene the special legal services allocation is always his “sticking point” and proposed a closed-door council executive session to be briefed on pending litigation.

Skene said his funding requests have been reduced in past budgets, forcing him to request budget amendments so the county can pay bills necessary to keep liability insurance coverage.

The special legal services increase also includes $300,000 for capital cases because there is a “good chance” there will be multiple criminal trials seeking the death penalty in 2026, with defense handled by the conflict counsel office, Skene said. County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce had informed the council of the capital cases in his earlier budget presentation.

Haas also wants to reduce the county budget reserve by $300,000, which would reduce the contingency account for emergencies from $400,000 to $100,000.

County taxes are currently 6.3541 mills. A mill is $1 tax on every $1,000 in assessed value of real estate. For example, the county tax bill is $635.41 on a $100,000 property.