Carbon County officials are partnering with a school district and borough for appraisals of two businesses that have filed property tax appeals in hopes of getting their taxes lowered.

On Thursday, the county commissioners entered into two agreements with Richard J. Drzewiecki of Sunbury, to perform commercial appraisals and prepare a formal report of market values for properties owned by Befesa Zinc US and Forest Inn Property LLC.

Under the Befesa action, the county is partnering with Palmerton Area School District and Palmerton Borough on the appraisal. The total contract is $8,500 with Carbon County chipping in $1,190 for its share of the cost.

According to the petition for appeal filed by Befesa, formerly known as American Zinc Recycling Corp., in Carbon County Court of Common Pleas, the company is appealing the decision of the Carbon County Tax Assessment Appeals Board on three parcels.

The board of assessment made an assessed value of $1,219,443, with a fair market value of $5,862,707; however, Befesa states that an appraisal report the company had completed showed the fair market value as $1.6 million. In the Forest Inn matter, the county partnered with Palmerton Area School District to complete the appraisal at a cost of $7,000, with Carbon County’s share being $1,120. It was noted that Towamensing Township declined to participate in the appraisal.

A petition filed by the company states that the board of assessments assessed the property in question at $2,785,884 and a fair market value of $13,393,673; however, an appraisal that was hired by the company determined a fair market value of $4.8 million.

In the case, the board of assessment appeals lowered the market value to $8,495,918.

Commissioner Rocky Ahner said Thursday that the county can’t afford to keep giving up tax dollars through business tax appeals.

“I think we have got to start contesting it,” he said, noting that the county could lose thousands a year in tax revenue if every appeal lowered the assessments. “We have to start taking a stance on this because what’s going to wind up happening is it is going to go back to the homeowner and I don’t think homeowners can afford that.”

Commissioners’ Chairman Michael Sofranko agreed with Ahner, saying that the two actions show the county is willing to work side by side with school districts and municipalities to try to protect the taxpayers.

“Nobody likes to pay taxes or likes to see their taxes go up, but if we all pay our fair share, accept it, life would be easier,” he said. “The county is standing up for (the taxpayers), because the cost has to be shifted somewhere. It just doesn’t go away.”

The county and other entities will present the reports once completed to the Court of Common Pleas as part of the case, which solicitor Robert Frycklund said provides for another opportunity to present evidence on the values of the properties.

“We’re not seeking to increase it,” he said. “They’re just seeking a decrease so we’re defending the position of the current board of assessment appeals. It may go up or down depending on the appraisals.”

In December, the county also entered into an agreement with Jim Thorpe School District and Kidder Township for an appraisal of three properties owned by Split Rock Resort.

In that case, if the assessed value was lowered as Split Rock would like, Commissioner Nothstein said at the time that the county could lose $18,000 annually in tax revenue.