PITTSTON – For many years, the City of Pittston has had a Homestead Exemption Act in an attempt to reduce city property taxes for owner-occupied residential homes. The program has been an overwhelming success since 2013.
The current exemption reduces the taxed value of your home by $16,500. For example, if your owner-occupied home in the city has a value of $100,000, the city will reduce the taxed value of the home to $83,500. This exemption does not apply to state or county taxes. If you own more than one property in the city, only the home you reside in qualifies.
“We were looking at other ways to help taxpayers, particularly our seniors,” Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said. “The problem is with the Homestead Exemption law, it doesn’t allow for a specified group of people to get an additional exemption. The only place in the Commonwealth to do it is Philadelphia, because they are a 1st class city.”
Lombardo recalls when former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, his administration created a senior tax break on real estate taxes.
The senior tax break for homeowners was an idea Lombardo kept in the back of his mind over the last two decades.
In 2023, during Lombardo’s tenure as president of the Pennsylvania Municipal League (PML), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities, supported the proposal by Mayor Lombardo and the City of Pittston entitled Senior Citizen Homestead Exclusion Resolution #6-2023.
“The Senior Citizen Homestead Exclusion law proposed essentially applies to every municipality in the Commonwealth including villages, townships, boroughs, cities, counties, or even school districts, can do Homestead Exemptions,” Lombardo explained. “If passed, the beauty of the resolution is each municipality can do it or choose not to do it.”
Lombardo stressed the homeowners will get a break, but not properties across the board, such as rental units or businesses.
Lombardo sent the proposal to State Sen. Marty Flynn in 2023, who eventually sponsored SB1075, now called “Property Tax Constitutional Amendment for Seniors,” along with co-sponsoring senators Boscola, Fontana, Brewster Kearney and Kane, in February 2024, to aid seniors.
According to the Pennsylvania State Senate website, Sen. Flynn stated, “[This legislation] would empower local officials to make decisions related to property taxes that best fit their locales, while also providing opportunities for much needed property tax relief to senior citizens.”
This is a chance to say this piece of legislation is a tool, if you want to use it or you don’t,” Lombardo added. “I don’t see why this is that complicated and I’d be very disappointed if we can’t pick up some Republican support on it.”
Recently, Mayor Lombardo drafted a letter regarding pushing the Property Tax Constitutional Amendment for Seniors to all Pennsylvania State Senators as well as Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“I’m very passionate about this legislation and I’m going to push as hard as I can through the PML and through my connections to see if we can get some activity and move it along,” Lombardo said. “The day after it passes, whatever the timeline is that I have to wait, I’ll wait and then I’m doing it. The minute it passes, I’m going to give seniors some type of break, and I’m already committed to that.”
In other City of Pittston news, Mayor Lombardo said the city and Jenkins Twp. are in serious discussions on a unique project that would benefit both municipalities greatly regarding the property at the former Pittston Hospital.
Lombardo wasn’t willing to discuss details at this time, but said he was optimistic on the plans and would release the details in the near future.
The Mayor also reported on the Downtown Pittston project “Market & Main,” the proposed seven to eight story residential/business/American Theater project to be built at the Main Street property.
The project will involve Market & Main tower, a new four-story parkade at the site of the former Quinn’s Market, and a multiple story resident/retail space at the current location of the Greater Pittston Regional Ambulance Assoc. (GPRAA).
The former dental office building located at the corner of Market and Main Streets has been razed to prepare for ground testing for the future tower.
Lombardo also said he has been looking for a grocery store chain that would be based at the ground floor of the proposed four-story parkade at Quinn’s.
The future site of the GPRAA will be built at the site of the former Triangle Motel next to Dollar General.