Cressona Set to Pass Massive Tax on PA Skill Machines

Cressona is literally taking a page from another Schuylkill County municipality’s book on taxing PA Skill machines.

On Monday, Borough Council members OK’d the drafting of an ordinance to impose a $1,000 tax on each PA Skill machine operating in Cressona. They got the idea from Minersville, which recently passed the exact same tax earlier this year.

In fact, Solicitor Eric Prock had a copy of Minersville’s ordinance to present to Cressona council members. The lone change that will have to be made to the ordinance is who enforces it.

In Minersville, local police are in charge of enforcing the ordinance. Cressona has no borough police force so that duty will fall on Code Enforcement Officer Mike Pontician.

Schuylkill County municipalities have been busy enacting similar ordinances recently to tax PA Skill machines. They’re ranging in the amount from Pottsville, which imposes a $150 tax. Girardville’ now has a $250 tax.

Cressona officials believe there are at least 10 PA Skill machines currently operating in the borough.

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