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I'm hoping to move someday to Scranton. I'd like to buy a house, but I read something a while ago about the taxes increasing in Scranton on this forum. Tried to locate that info again, but had no luck. I was hoping someone would be kind enough to give me an update concering this issue.
I won't even bother to respond to this one for fear of another political argument ensuing. I'll allow WeLuvPA to tackle it, as I know turning off people from moving to the city and helping to further it along on any sort of revival is his specialty.
I'm hoping to move someday to Scranton. I'd like to buy a house, but I read something a while ago about the taxes increasing in Scranton on this forum. Tried to locate that info again, but had no luck. I was hoping someone would be kind enough to give me an update concering this issue.
LHermey
I am moving to Scranton as soon as my house here sells. My understanding of the tax issue is: property taxes are going to increase by 25% for the next 3 years. While that amount of increase seems insane, it is all relative to a persons situation. In my current home my taxes are over 8K a year. If I buy a home in scranton with a current tax bill of 1,000k a year the increase will be 250 the first year and so on...so if I compare where I am leaving to where I am going and my income is actually increasing slightly....
I am moving to Scranton as soon as my house here sells. My understanding of the tax issue is: property taxes are going to increase by 25% for the next 3 years. While that amount of increase seems insane, it is all relative to a persons situation. In my current home my taxes are over 8K a year. If I buy a home in scranton with a current tax bill of 1,000k a year the increase will be 250 the first year and so on...so if I compare where I am leaving to where I am going and my income is actually increasing slightly....
Actually, the "overall" tax bill will not be rising by 25% per year for the next three years. Only the city's portion of that tax bill will be increasing by that amount. A certain other member never makes that distinction when he talks about the tax increases, even though he knows that the county and school district also factor into that overall tabulation. For example, for a home with a total current annual tax bill of $3,000, $2,000 of that may go to the Scranton School District with the remainder split evenly---$500 to each the county and city. Even if that $500 increases by 25% per year for the next three years, that's still only an increase of $375, which is marginal in bringing that overall tax bill up to $3,375 at the end of the three years. I don't know why he rants and raves so much about a city tax increase of $125 per year? The other party I mentioned will make it sound as if that ENTIRE $3,000 figure will be jumping by 75% to $5,250 in three years time, which is NOT the case at all.
One thing you'll notice about Scrantonians is that they'll whine and moan until they're blue in the face about their "ludicrous city property taxes" when many other nearby municipalities charge their residents much more, and that's not even delving into the notoriously overtaxed areas such as NJ and NY. Our school taxes alone on my parents' current dwelling is more than the average OVERALL Scranton property tax bill, so I don't quite see why those people do nothing but complain. Scranton's inexpensive in relation to many other surrounding areas; if you can't afford your home, then you shouldn't have stretched yourself beyond your means. I'm tired of hearing the "Scranton Sucks" crowd do nothing but try to scare off potential new residents and investors with their gobbledygook about some sort of fictitious "extreme tax bills." Yes, the 3.4% wage tax is an unfair burden levied upon the residents, and I'll give WeLuvPA the bone for that one. However, if he thinks the average Scranton property owner pays more in property taxes than people in Abington Heights, Pittston Area, Wilkes-Barre Area, and other notoriously-highly-taxed areas, then he's mistaken.
Thanks SWB, your perfect example explained how the tax over the next 3 years will affect the property owners. I won't allow this tax issue to stand in my way of moving to Scranton.
...it is all relative to a persons situation. In my current home my taxes are over 8K a year...so if I compare where I am leaving to where I am going and my income is actually increasing slightly....
Agreed. I pay approximately the same in taxes as you. Add in homeowner's insurance & water bill only, & no joke, it's enough for someone in NEPA to modeslty live on for 1-yr. In the past, my sister was raising 4 kids on about that much for many years. Additionally, in Boston, factoring in the skyscraper cost of everything else, returning to PA will be a breath of fresh air, indeed. In many ways.
If anyone is panicing that a few hundred dollar's increase in a bill will crush them, causing their bottom to drop out, I feel safe in saying that there are other much more pressing issues influencing that fear. Stress is what we cause ourselves to experience, as a result of our own reactions. At the very least such a person needs to do one or several of the following: find better employment, work more hours or secure a 2nd PT job; budget & cut expenses to the core (that means no "unnecessaries" e.g., soda, cigarettes, sweets, trips to the movie theatre, cable); ensure that every able-bodied, working-aged person in the household is working to contribute to expenses (meaning no slacking teens during the summer or "I don't want to work" partners); move to a lower cost home/area; find a good therapist or therapeutic practice (yoga, meditation) to help alleviate the stress; or find a way to return to school for a better-paying, more agreeable career. In recent years, I've done several of the above.
As adults, we must do what we can to remain calm & optimistic. For sure, that helps in every area of our lives. Otherwise, we make our days most unpleasant indeed.
It's all in how you view it. An attitude can turn 180-degrees in a snap of the fingers. Happy journeys to all of us in our next step. Fun, fun, fun... VV
One thing you'll notice about Scrantonians is that they'll whine and moan until they're blue in the face about their "ludicrous city property taxes" when many other nearby municipalities charge their residents much more, and that's not even delving into the notoriously overtaxed areas such as NJ and NY. Our school taxes alone on my parents' current dwelling is more than the average OVERALL Scranton property tax bill, so I don't quite see why those people do nothing but complain. Scranton's inexpensive in relation to many other surrounding areas; if you can't afford your home, then you shouldn't have stretched yourself beyond your means. I'm tired of hearing the "Scranton Sucks" crowd do nothing but try to scare off potential new residents and investors with their gobbledygook about some sort of fictitious "extreme tax bills." Yes, the 3.4% wage tax is an unfair burden levied upon the residents, and I'll give WeLuvPA the bone for that one. However, if he thinks the average Scranton property owner pays more in property taxes than people in Abington Heights, Pittston Area, Wilkes-Barre Area, and other notoriously-highly-taxed areas, then he's mistaken.
SWB, thank you for quoting factually. A bit of research relinquishes the same results. Perspective is very important as well as turning on our filters when we read posts. I've seen a handful of posters onsite, from various states, who enjoy jumping into as many conversations on their state's forum as possible, to report how bad life is for them. A bit of observation reveals that time & time again, they're truly commenting on their own state of mind & inability to make it work, than on the area not contributing to their success.
It serves no purpose to continually rant. Those posts always make me think "Then why are you there? Move. Leave. One more day in pain is not worth it, if you feel this way." Months later, they're still posting the same. It keeps one in a state of upset & I never see the reason for that. I think when most folks have had the opportunity to hang out a bit here, they quickly feel the same.
In the meantime, there's many who quietly live fun-filled, happy lives in NEPA. And, many of us who will soon be there. I know my life will be fun-filled, but hopefully, not necessarily quiet!... VV
Well swb has done some homework but not enough.....The county taxes went up 48% then they were lowered 25% approx so still thats a increase of 23% on the county taxes and the Scranton school taxes have increased every year for the last 3 years with another huge increase coming due to the need for a new high school since the 6 yr old one is now too small and then they want to renovate 1 elementary and build 2 new so the increase on that is going to hurt. Then we have a 56% sewer increase this year and another 50%+ for next year. and yes the SCRANTON property taxes have increased 26.3% this year and then another 25% each year for the next 2yrs for a total increase of 93.4% in scranton property taxes by 2009. The city is $300,000,000++ in debt with the city debt and the school board. This will result in more tax increases and the sewer bills will be huge in the coming years due to the fact that the Scranton Sewer Authority's financial woes and the inability to come up with the funding to renovate the current combined CSO to new seperate systems as mandated by the EPA. This needs to be done in 15yrs or we will be fined for each section not done a total of $27,000 a day for each. When you add all of these increases up this hurts a family and it makes life harder. For what we are expected to pay we should get something in return. SWB did not mention that we the lowest paid police force in the state and that we stand to lose 17 officers in the next 2 months because they cannot to afford to live in the city when they have not had a raise in 6 years.
First you must understand for Paul to make comments about how the Scranton taxes affect people is funny because he does not live in Scranton and does not have to pay the Scranton taxes. Second he still lives at home with MOM and Dad who pay his property taxes. Its funny how a bunch of adults cannot see how off base he is by telling us that the taxes we pay and the hard work we put for our families to have a good life are so insignificant because the out lying areas pay more. This is a child who has not seen the hard times of young families or what happens to a family when someone gets laid off and the income is not there but the bills keep going up or the senior citizens on fixed incomes that will not be able to afford their homes that they worked their whole life for. This kid is a snot nosed spolied little brat that sits home at moms house and feeds this crap to you people who do not even live here and you take the word of a child that lives at home with mom and dad like its the dam gospel. He has no idea what its like to have to sustain your home and your family and worry about how you are going to make the ends meet. If none of you know that then you are all very fortuante that you never had to worry about anything in life. I am a positive person when its the right time but reality is reality and no matter how many smiley faces you put next to it, it is still reality. Reality is something that this kid has no idea about and lets face it if dreams paid the bills we would never have to work and work hard. You people are adults and its funny how much you feed into this kids idea of fantasy and can hide from your own realites here in Paul's little world of friends and photo tours. He is 20yrs old and lives at home and home is not even in Scranton. Hey Kitten do you think that god could pay my taxes for me??? Kum BY Ya Kum By Ya
"Scranton's inexpensive in relation to many other surrounding areas; if you can't afford your home, then you shouldn't have stretched yourself beyond your means. I'm tired of hearing the "Scranton Sucks" "
Paul what the hell do you know about being stretched beyond your means??? You still live at home, so I'm sure your means are preety comfy...If I wantd to pay out of my ass I would have moved outside of the city but since I do not like to just give my $$$$ away I choose to live here. You talk about how are taxes are lower than the out lying areas and that you tired of hearing"Scranton Sucks" well please expalin to me why we have such a exodus of residents from the city? Why does our cities population continue to drop at a alarming rate? Where are the family sustaining jobs that a city needs to keep its residents in place? Where Paul where are they? You sit in moms house and go to school and work at lowes I would love to see you try to make your ends meet on that salary and live in this city and be able to pay for the qulaity of life you want for yourself. I am sick and tired of your childish BS from moms house and I am sick and tired of how you hide the reality of what is involved in living in SCranton because then you wouldn't be the cheerleader anymore, would you? and you would lose all of your net friends. I thought you where quitting this forum , you made a big deal about it, it even got its own thread, so what happened buddy, no buddy else to talk to.
Re: "Hey Kitten do you think that god could pay my taxes for me???"
That's between you & your God...
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I don't know why he rants and raves so much about a city tax increase of $125 per year? 
The other party I mentioned will make it sound as if that ENTIRE $3,000 figure will be jumping by 75% to $5,250 in three years time, which is NOT the case at all.
Our school taxes alone on my parents' current dwelling is more than the average OVERALL Scranton property tax bill, so I don't quite see why those people do nothing but complain. 
Scratnon taxes
