Lackawanna County’s reassessment drama isn’t about whether it should happen—it’s about whether it should happen right now. With a new dynamic on the Board of Commissioners, the county is pursuing a one-year extension before implementing its long-awaited property value overhaul. Attorney John Dean, representing the county, sent a letter Monday requesting that the January 1, 2026 rollout be pushed to January 1, 2027.
Critics like Commissioner Bill Gaughan call the idea “ridiculous.” But the truth is more complicated. After nearly six decades without a reassessment, the process has been messy, confusing, and for many residents, overwhelming. Notices went out missing the required comparison between old and new property values. Local governments didn’t receive their own appeal notifications. Thousands of appeals are still being adjudicated. And local taxing bodies have yet to finalize tax rates or provide taxpayers with a clear picture of what they’ll owe.
Dean’s letter makes a practical argument: if you’re going to rebuild a system that’s been broken since the 1960s, you should make sure the foundation is solid. Fixing the notice defect, finishing the appeals, and educating property owners about what the new numbers actually mean could go a long way toward restoring confidence. “This will ensure the county implements reassessment in compliance with the law,” Dean wrote, “and give taxpayers the proper notice—which results in fairness and equity.”
Opponents argue that delaying hurts low-income homeowners who’ve long paid too much under outdated 1968 values. Attorney Marielle Macher, who sued to force reassessment, has already promised to take the county back to court if it changes the timeline. She says the data are sound and that the system, as built, will finally correct long-standing inequities.
But there’s another kind of fairness at stake—procedural fairness. It’s not enough for the math to be right; the rollout must be lawful, transparent, and understood. Right now, it’s none of those things. The appeals process has been a rush, rate adjustments aren’t ready, and neither homeowners nor businesses have had time to prepare for the financial impact.
Commissioner Chris Chermak, who’s led the call for a pause, says residents are confused and uninformed. He’s not wrong. Even Commissioner-elect Thom Welby, who’ll replace Brenda Sacco later this month, ran on the idea that taxpayers weren’t properly educated about how reassessment would affect them. A one-year delay gives space to correct that—to publish clear information, hold outreach sessions, and get appeals resolved before new bills arrive.
The last thing the county needs is chaos: inflated panic over unknown bills, appeals filed en masse, and mistrust of government that takes years to undo. Spending a little more time—and even a little more money—might actually save the county from far greater cost, both financial and political.
Reassessment isn’t the problem. Rushing it is. After nearly sixty years of waiting, one more year to get it right may be the most responsible move Lackawanna County can make.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.