Longtime Union Township tax collector Leona Belles has been battling a major medical condition for months but did not resign until December, leaving taxing bodies in a bind, officials say.
Belles has not turned over final payments and closeout reports identifying which outstanding 2016 bills were paid and unpaid in the township, Luzerne County and the Northwest Area School District, officials say.
The county is awaiting county real estate tax payments collected by Belles from August through the end of 2016, county Treasurer’s Office Manager/Tax Administrator Laura Beers said Thursday.
A total $96,000 in county tax bills are still listed as outstanding in the township from 2016, Beers said. Several township property owners have visited or called the county treasurer’s office to find out why their checks have not been cashed, and Beers said Belles has not returned her office’s messages.
Northwest Area received a batch of school tax revenue from Belles last month, but the total received for 2016 to date is about $300,000 less than the previous year, said district Business Manager Kristy Straub. Without a final report, the district cannot determine if more payments must be turned over or an increasing number of township property owners failed to pay their school tax bills, she said.
Township Supervisor Al Sorber said the township is still owed some tax revenue from last year, but he could not specifically quantify the estimated amount. Township officials have asked their legal counsel to work with Belles and pursue action if necessary to obtain access to Belles’ tax records and bank account so the books and final payments can be closed out, he said.
Sorber repeatedly stressed officials are sympathetic to Belles’ struggle, but they must proceed to properly divvy up the tax payments and ensure all payments and nonpayments are properly recorded. He said “a lot” of property owners have been calling the township inquiring about the situation.
“It’s in the solicitor’s hands,” he said.
Belles acknowledged she was behind but said she wanted to culminate her 41 years as an elected collector by turning over one last clean report.
“I’m trying to catch up,” she said, describing major medical issues that have slowed her progress.
She conceded she may be unable to meet her goal and said she may turn over her records and bank account as-is to the township, which is the governing body.
County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said the county tried to assist in resolving the matter but concluded through legal research that the county has no legal standing to intervene.
Also undelivered by Belles is a report tax collectors must submit to the county tax claim office by Jan. 15 listing which property owners did not pay bills the previous year.
Sorber said it’s unclear if Belles had obtained township approval designating a deputy, but no township residents have claimed that title or obtained training from Belles and access to her accounts.
According to the state Department of Community and Economic Development, a state law passed in 2014 requires tax collectors to name a deputy to assume tax collection duties if they become incapacitated.
In light of the Union Township situation, Beers said she has requested a list of all deputy collectors approved by municipalities.
