EXETER, Pa. — Community members in parts of Luzerne and Wyoming County are looking at a property tax increase for this upcoming school year after a decision was made tonight to approve us more than a 6% increase for those in the Wyoming Area School District.
Members of the Wyoming Area Board of Education approved the final budget for the 2024 - 2025 school year Tuesday night, a move that will raise the districts property taxes by 6.5 percent.
For those who live in Luzerne County and have a property assessed at $250,000, their taxes would go up by some $320.
In the parts Wyoming County, for a property assessed at $20,000 dollars, their increase would be around $181.
"Are we going to be here a year from now looking down the barrel of another tax increase that’s at the index or is this it." said Joe Portelli of West Pittston.
The increase was approved by a vote of 5 to 4. Many community members aired their frustrations about the final budget and the impact it will have on the district.
"Historically speaking, we keep throwing money at the district and it has never worked." said Joe Price of Falls Township.
"It’s really discouraging, I mean this school board sat there and ran on that they wouldn’t raise taxes on the people and tonight they reneged on the word, and they did." said Thomas Saunder of Exeter Township.
Following the decision, Saunders, a supervisor for Exeter Township, says community members in his area cannot afford the tax increase.
He says the township plans to seek legal action to hopefully leave the district.
"It’s a lot better for a kids to go to Tunkhannock, we are a rural small community and our values are lost coming to Wyoming area and the people can’t afford the taxes." said Saunders.
School Board President Michael Supey told Newswatch 16 off camera that it’s never an easy decision to raise people’s taxes and hopes that legislation is passed in Harrisburg to help alleviate some of the budget increases the district is dealing with. He said some of the biggest issues the district is facing include the cost of cyber charter schools and faculty healthcare.
The date for the tax increase is set for July 1st.