Thursday, May 10, 2012
The move will provide tax abatements for property owners in designated areas that make major renovations that result in county reassessment.
Easton's City Council unanimously approved the formation of a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program Wednesday evening. The program is intended to provide incentive for property owners to undertake major renovations and property improvements while easing the burden of increased taxes that come with a higher tax assessment when they are complete. The LERTA designation areas will include 44 owner-occupied homes in the new Neston Heights neighborhood, most of Downtown, sections of the West Ward extending as far west as 12th Street, and four sites in Southside. Is your property eligible for the program? See the attached pdf map to find out. A staggered abatement in 10 percent increments will be granted to qualifying …
40.69061
-75.20912
Easton City Hall
1 S 3rd St, Easton, PA
/articles/lerta-program-approved-by-city-council
873517
/locations/6980069
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Mayor says Easton can wait until next year for tax incentive program.
Easton will abandon its plans for a KOZ this year, Mayor Sal Panto said Wednesday. Instead, the city will wait until the next round of grants in 2013 to submit its application for the Keystone Opportunity Zone program, which offers tax breaks to people who develop parcels of land. "Bethlehem Township isn't ready," Panto said, adding that the KOZ funding is competitive, and the proposal has a better chance of state approval if everyone is on board. He said the delay wouldn't be much of an issue anyway, since essentially none of the projects proposed for the zone will break ground before next year at the earliest. Panto had indicated it wouldn't be a hardship for the city to table the matter when discussing it with the Easton Area School …
40.69061
-75.20912
Easton City Hall
1 S 3rd St, Easton, PA
/articles/multiple-hot-issues-on-upcoming-city-council-agendas
873517
/locations/6783587
40.703351
-75.203722
College Hill Presbyterian Church
501 Brodhead St, Easton, PA
/articles/multiple-hot-issues-on-upcoming-city-council-agendas
873784
/locations/6783588
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Easton hopes to convince the Easton Area School District to approve two tax abatement programs designed to entice developers to revitalize troubled and blighted city properties.
Approving a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) and a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) area within Easton is a financially good move for both the city and the Easton Area School District, officials said at Tuesday night's city council committee meeting. Easton will pitch its plan to the school board at its next finance committee meeting on April 10 and to the full board on April 17, said Easton Economic Redevelopment Authority Director Gretchen Longenbach. Proposed for the KOZ are a total of six potential redevelopment sites: The designation would last for 10 years, starting at the beginning of 2013, and ending in 2022. KOZ properties would be eligible for tax abatements until the term runs out. However, unlike past KOZs, …
Christina Georgiou
12:46 pm on Thursday, April 12, 2012
Also scheduled for the meeting on April 25 is discussion on how the city will pay for mounting pension and benefit costs, along with a hearing on expanding the city's earned income tax (EIT) to include commuters and city workers. more ›