Tax break for Hometown Walmart

The Hometown Walmart has gotten its taxes lowered.

During the Schuylkill County Commissioners’ meeting Wednesday, the board approved the settlement of an assessment appeal initiated by Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust versus the county, Tamaqua Area School Board and Rush Township. The store is a Walmart Supercenter, located at 35 Plaza Drive, Tamaqua.

Attorney Chris Hobbs, county solicitor’s office, explained the dollar amounts of the change. The total assessed value of the retail store was $4,326.800. The new assessed value is $3,411,200, a drop of $915,600, which translates to a decrease of $14,631 in the store’s tax bill to the county, Hobbs said. Hobbs said that attorney Glenn Roth, solicitor’s office, negotiated the proceedings.

The Tamaqua Area School Board recently approved its 2019-20 budget with no tax increase, holding the line at 38.47 mills; Rush Township has begun to work on its 2020 budget, with the current millage rate at 5.62.

According to the stipulation agreed to by both parties, the process involved extensive negotiations, reviews of comparable sales and expert appraisal opinion. The parties also stipulated to a fair market value of the parcel at $8,200,000. The changes are effective as of Jan. 1, 2019.

In other action the commissioners:

Approved spending $21,511 under COSTARS pricing for office furniture for the Mental Health/Department of Human Services and Drug and Alcohol offices. The new furniture was needed as those departments move into the renovated county building at 410 N. Centre St.

Set new rates for rentals at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park: Clubhouse, $125; Clubhouse peak season, $350; wedding, $800; large pavilion, $75; lakeview pavilion and gazebos, $15; and new waterfall pavilion, $100. The rates are effective for 2020.