Pocono News Section

Luzerne County Levee Fees May Be Rising

Luzerne County Levee Fees May Be Rising - Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 04:09AM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Wednesday April 14 2010
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- The Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority is considering changes to the levee fee created in 2009.

The fee was created to help costs related to levee upkeep including pumping station maintenance.

Homeowners near the levee have paid more than a million dollars in fees since they were sent out last summer. But the Authority says it's still missing an expected $300,000 from fees that were mailed.

Changing the Luzerne County levee fee one year after it was created wouldn't make Bill Leonhardt of Wilkes-Barre very happy. Leonhardt said, "How much maintenance is there on a pumping station? You know, it blows up or something or got to put a new motor or something but outside of that."

12 communities near the levee have to pay the fee. If your home's assessed value is below $100,000, you'll pay nearly $47 a year. Over $100,000, nearly $94. For commercial property, the fee starts at $225 a year and goes up from there.

Those numbers could change but the Flood Protection Authority hopes they won't. Luzerne County Commissioner and Flood Protection Authority member Maryanne Petrilla said, "The commissioners are pretty adamant about the fact that the last thing we want, we do not to increase the fees for anyone however there is some tweaking that needs to be done."

Flood Protection Authority Chairman Jim Brozena says about 1,000 properties won't be charged a fee this year. Brozena says they were incorrectly included last year.

Also, some of those commercial properties will be placed in a lower bracket, which means a lower fee.

It could be a perfect storm to raise the fee but a final decision won't be made until next month. This fee will also help erase a massive county budget shortfall.

The meeting to reveal the 2010 fee rates will happen May 18th.