A number of residents have questioned the property tax reassessment process that is going on now in Schuylkill County.

Commissioner Chairman Larry Padora said it wasn’t the choice of the commissioners to do the reassessment.

“A nonprofit from Philadelphia is suing counties in Pennsylvania to do reassessment,” Padora said. “I hate the reassessment.”

The county’s reassessment is the first in 30 years.

Some people are experiencing a tax reduction, and some, a tax increase. The long period of time between reassessments is why, in some cases, the adjustments are so drastic.

“If reassessments were more cyclical, like every five years, it would be better,” Padora said,

Residents are beginning to get their new assessments.

They will be able to appeal them during August, September and October.

Freight zone

If Schuylkill County became a Foreign Freight Zone, county businesses that import and export would have an easier time doing so.

So Frank Zukas, president of the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., asked the county commissioners Wednesday to write a letter of support to include the county in a Foreign Freight Zone with southeastern Pennsylvania.

“Industries which bring their raw materials in would be able to bring it right into their facilities without going through customs,” Zukas said. “Then, once the final product is made, customs agents come into the facility to impose the tariffs.”

So the commissioners will be writing a letter of support to admit the county into Foreign Freight Zone 147.