Tunkhannock board approves tax-collector pay increase including $0.50 per mailed bill
January 18, 2025 | Tunkhannock Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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The Tunkhannock Area School District board voted to raise tax-collector compensation and to include a $0.50 payment for each mailed tax bill, a package the administration said will take effect in 2026.
The board approved the measure after discussion and public comment from tax collectors seeking higher pay. The administration told the board the planned increase would likely raise district costs by about $15,000 to $18,000 annually under the district’s typical collection patterns; administrators said a worst-case scenario could be about $30,000. The $0.50-per-mailing add-on was calculated separately and was cited in the meeting as adding $5,694 to the district’s costs.
Why it matters: Tax-collector compensation is set periodically and affects the district’s operating budget. Board members said the increase must be weighed as they prepare a challenging budget for the spring.
The discussion included public testimony from local collectors who described the time-intensive nature of preparing and mailing bills. “I don’t feel that it’s a need for me as a tax collector to do volunteer work for the district. I think that I should be reimbursed for the work that I do,” tax collector Connie Lawrence told the board during the public-comment period.
Administration officials summarized the district’s assumptions. “We think that this increase will be approximately $15,000 to $18,000 annually,” said a district administrator during the budget discussion.
Roll-call vote: Dr. O’Shierich — yes; Dr. Prabhala — yes; Mr. Burke — no; Mrs. Eckert — yes; Mrs. Goebel — yes; Mr. Farr — no; Mrs. Arnold — yes. The motion passed.
Board and administration notes: The administration told the board the district accounts for about 11,388 parcels when projecting maximum cost exposure and that the district’s realistic collection rate of about 93 percent underpins the $15,000–$18,000 projection. Board members also noted the last increase to tax collectors took place in 2018.
The board directed that the change be effective in 2026 and recorded the motion as approved.
Looking ahead: District officials said the increase will factor into broader budget decisions to be made in the spring. No additional implementation details or changes to parcel‑level procedures were specified during the meeting.
The board approved the measure after discussion and public comment from tax collectors seeking higher pay. The administration told the board the planned increase would likely raise district costs by about $15,000 to $18,000 annually under the district’s typical collection patterns; administrators said a worst-case scenario could be about $30,000. The $0.50-per-mailing add-on was calculated separately and was cited in the meeting as adding $5,694 to the district’s costs.
Why it matters: Tax-collector compensation is set periodically and affects the district’s operating budget. Board members said the increase must be weighed as they prepare a challenging budget for the spring.
The discussion included public testimony from local collectors who described the time-intensive nature of preparing and mailing bills. “I don’t feel that it’s a need for me as a tax collector to do volunteer work for the district. I think that I should be reimbursed for the work that I do,” tax collector Connie Lawrence told the board during the public-comment period.
Administration officials summarized the district’s assumptions. “We think that this increase will be approximately $15,000 to $18,000 annually,” said a district administrator during the budget discussion.
Roll-call vote: Dr. O’Shierich — yes; Dr. Prabhala — yes; Mr. Burke — no; Mrs. Eckert — yes; Mrs. Goebel — yes; Mr. Farr — no; Mrs. Arnold — yes. The motion passed.
Board and administration notes: The administration told the board the district accounts for about 11,388 parcels when projecting maximum cost exposure and that the district’s realistic collection rate of about 93 percent underpins the $15,000–$18,000 projection. Board members also noted the last increase to tax collectors took place in 2018.
The board directed that the change be effective in 2026 and recorded the motion as approved.
Looking ahead: District officials said the increase will factor into broader budget decisions to be made in the spring. No additional implementation details or changes to parcel‑level procedures were specified during the meeting.
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