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Government
This section of the report deals primarily with county government fiscal affairs. The indicators reflect governmental size, scope, and financial health.Revenue & Expenditures
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Lackawanna County Revenue & Expenditures
Source: Lackawanna County
Luzerne County Revenue & Expenditures
Source: Luzerne County
Taxes
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County Taxes Per Capita
Sources: Lackawanna & Luzerne County
Tax Rates
In 2021, total property tax rates in both counties remain unchanged from the prior year. The most recent adjustment, effective in January 2020, was an 11 percent increase in the total real estate millage rate in Lackawanna County.
Lackawanna County’s property tax rate is significantly higher than Luzerne County’s rate. For several reasons, however, this does not necessarily reflect actual property tax costs incurred by property owners. First, there are differences in how and when properties in the two counties were assessed. This means the two counties’ ratios of assessed value for tax purposes to actual market value are different. Furthermore, tax rates included in this report do not include school taxes, which typically comprise the largest portions of all property owners’ tax bills.
2020 – 2021 Tax Rates
Source: PA Department of Community & Economic Development
| Lackawanna County Tax Rates (mills) | Luzerne County Tax Rates (mills) | |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate - General Purpose | 41.6000 | 1.2358 |
| Debt Service | 12.5000 | 1.1836 |
| Library | 2.8200 | 0.0459 |
| Culture and Education Fund | 1.0000 | |
| Community Colleges | 0.3240 | |
| Roads & Bridges | 0.1070 | |
| Criminal Justice | 1.9977 | |
| Human Services | 0.4260 | |
| Hotel Room Rental (Percent) | 7% | 5% |
| Real Estate Total | 63.9200 | 5.3200 |
Sales Tax Remittance
Sales tax remittance in both counties and statewide grew for two consecutive years from 2016 through 2019. From the 2016-2017 to 2017-2018 years, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties saw sales tax remittance grow by 9.2 and 0.9 percent, respectively. From 2017-2018 to 2018-2019, Lackawanna County’s remittance grew by another 5.3 percent, and Luzerne County’s grew by 2.1 percent. The commonwealth as a whole saw nearly seven percent year-over-year growth most recently.
In 2019-2020, sales tax remittance dropped in all three geographies, likely affected by disruptions in commerce caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Luzerne County saw the lowest total among all years analyzed. The year-over-year declines in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, 6.8 and 5.8 percent, respectively, were larger than the statewide decline of 2.5 percent.
Sales Tax Remittance
Source: PA Department of Revenue.
Government Employment
Government employment presented in the table includes staff of federal, state, and local government entities. In the two counties, government sector activity supported over 27,000 jobs in 2019.
Between 2015 and 2019, government employment fell by about four percent in Lackawanna County, while Luzerne County and Pennsylvania saw very small increases of .24 percent and .02 percent, respectively.
Government Employment
Source: Chmura Economics via JobsEQ
Research Analyst in 2022.
Andrew Chew joined The Institute team in 2013 as Research & Policy Analyst. In 2016, Chew was named Senior Research & Policy Analyst.
Sarah, a former Institute intern, joined The Institute in April 2021
Dr. Jolene Carey-Pace was appointed as a Research Analyst at The Institute in 2021. As a research analyst, Jolene carries out research/development activities, analyzes data, and interprets results. Jolene also contributes to the design and delivery of research projects and collaborates with researchers to develop, execute, and interpret research projects and perform complex data collection and study methods. Jolene is experienced in quantitative and qualitative research, specializing in implementing, conducting, and analyzing interviews and focus groups.
Jill Avery-Stoss joined The Institute in June 2018 to fill the newly-created role of Research, Data, Intern & Administrative Coordinator. She assists with the collection and management of data for purposes of ethical and efficient analysis. She visits partner campuses to market The Institute’s internship opportunities, and participates in event-planning logistical activities as well.In 2021, Jill was promoted to Administrative Coordinator to reflect the diversity in her job description and the additional marketing and communication functions she successfully mastered in 2020.
Ooms is responsible for all facets of research, organizational strategy, and management. Ooms is an active principal investigator in all Institute research. Ooms has been nationally recognized as a leader in regional economic development. She turned that skill into a research institute to help other regions develop and prosper. Her strategic skills have allowed The Institute to expand its services to the private and non-profit sectors for research and analysis in community health needs assessments, strategic planning, market and feasibility studies, and economic impact analysis.