Resident raises long wait for city home-repair program; treasurer outlines revenue gains and pushes county coordination on LERDA program

A Williamsport resident told the City Council on Wednesday that he has waited about seven years for home repairs through the community development office and said his porch is now in danger of collapsing.

"I've tried to file freedom of information request. You're not allowed to ask questions is what the city solicitor said," Scott Miller of 822 Tucker Street told the council during public comment. He asked when funds will be used to help homeowners on the repair list.

Council members acknowledged the complaint and said they would follow up. “Thank you, Mr. Miller, for bringing that to our attention,” Council member Vince Pulizzi said. Council member Eric Bider said the council would look into it.

Later in the meeting, Treasurer Kevin Mackey addressed the council on revenues and local tax programs. Mackey, who has been in the treasurer's office since June 2022, said the city has expanded business and interest revenue in recent years. He said that mercantile and business privilege tax revenue rose from about $2 million (before in-house administration) to roughly $5 million over five years, and that interest revenue increased from $29,000 in 2020 to $521,000 in 2024 after changing banking practices.

Mackey also raised concerns about the local residential LERDA (Local Economic Revitalization and Development Abatement) program, saying the county commissioners voted recently to remove their residential participation, which risks isolating the city as the sole participant. "This results in the city being the only one invested in a residential or in our area," Mackey said. He asked for council support in scheduling a meeting with the county commissioners to seek reversal or coordination.

Mackey said the treasurer's office and city staff plan to continue directing any additional revenues back into the general fund to ease property tax burdens. He offered to follow up with county commissioners and asked if council members would join that outreach; council members agreed to discuss the request.