Attempt to help taxpayers with postage costs rejected
An attempt by two Fayette County commissioners to assist elected county taxpayers with cost reduction was rejected Thursday when the president of the Fayette County Tax Collector’s Association expressed opposition to a proposal relating to postage. Dunbar tax collector Marigrace Butela, president of the Fayette County Tax Collectors Association, said the group was opposed to a proposal by the county to provide postage and envelopes to get a bulk postage rate for mailing out tax bills. Fayette County Chief Assessor James A. Hercik sent the letter for the proposal at the direction of the commissioners.
Butela said because the proposal calls for returning the tax bills to the county to mail them out, the county’s 39 elected tax collectors would not be complying with a statement they sign that verifies they will ensure the bills are mailed.
She said to her knowledge the county doesn’t have the capability to sort first-class mail, so the service would be contracted out. Also, she said there is no postmark on the mail, so taxpayers would not be able to tell exactly when the bills were received.
“It would be mass confusion with over 60,000 pieces of mail,” Butela said.
After Butela personally thanked assistants of commissioners Joseph A. Hardy III and Vincent A. Vicites for returning her calls, Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink made it a point to ask Butela if Butela called her.
After Butela acknowledged that Zimmerlink wasn’t called, Zimmerlink said she is aware that “there will always be an issue between the tax collectors and Angela Zimmerlink.” Butela said that was a shame on Zimmerlink’s part, and accused Zimmerlink of not returning telephone calls.
Zimmerlink was instrumental is getting the change of tax collector compensation from a percentage to a per bill amount, resulting in the loss of income for the majority of tax collectors.
“I will always stand by my statement to change the tax collection method,” Zimmerlink said, pointing out that the action was approved unanimously by the commissioners.
Zimmerlink said she did not believe the proposal she and Vicites made regarding the postage would be mass confusion, but if the tax collectors prefer not to take the suggestion of herself and Vicites in an attempt to reduce costs; they can discuss the issue next year.
“We won’t provide envelopes and postage, and we can look at that issue next year,” Zimmerlink said.
Vicites then said he thought possibly the county could provide envelopes with postage; a suggestion that Butela was in favor of but Zimmerlink and county manager Warren Hughes were against.
“It was just a suggestion,” Vicites said.
In other action, the commissioners tabled approving a contract for new copy machines after a question arose about which of the bidders had submitted the lowest responsible bid. The commissioners voted to reject the four bids that were received for the 41 copy machines and rebid the contract.
The commissioners also voted to table a motion to seek proposals for a new worker’s compensation proposal until it can be determined exactly what steps are needed to bow out of the current contract through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP).
County human resource manager Jim Moore said he had not checked with CCAP because the issue arose on Tuesday regarding the requirements to get out of the contract, and had instead checked with an independent agent. Although Moore did not name the person, when Zimmerlink asked if it was Mike Doyle, Moore said that it was.
Vicites had put the item on the agenda, saying that the premiums for worker’s compensation have grown more than any other line item in the county budget over the years. He said the premium could go down if claims decreased, but it is good to put CCAP on notice.
The commissioners voted 2-1 to approve a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act, LERTA, for the Wharton Township for a period of five years to be effective five days after the last taxing body adopts the LERTA resolution. Voting in favor of the motion were Hardy and Vicites, with Zimmerlink casting the dissenting vote.
LERTA grants a real estate tax exemption of 100 percent of the valuation of the new construction and improvements to buildings within the entire township and has previously been approved by the township supervisors. It also must be approved by the Uniontown Area School District.
Zimmerlink has previously said that studies have shown the program to be “ineffective and costly.”