Although Schuylkill County officials insist the government is on sound financial ground a property tax increase for 2027 is highly unlikely, Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora said Wednesday, there needs to be alternate sources of revenue outside of taxing properties.
“Counties have one thing … property tax. That’s it,” he said. “It’s not fair. I don’t believe we should have property tax.”
Commissioner Boots Hetherington added, “We’re cursed by flat income.”
Padora said he’s currently working with officials in other counties through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania to lobby for allowing counties like Schuylkill to implement its own sales tax. He said it’s allowed in Philadelphia and Allegheny County but nowhere else.
Philadelphia County charges 8% sales tax (2% of its own on top of the 6% state tax) and Allegheny County charges 7.5% (1.5% of its own).
“The other 65 counties, we’re told, ‘Hey, too bad’,” he said. “You’ve got to give counties more tools than just always taxing people’s properties.
The Chairman said an add-on sales tax that stays in Schuylkill County of 1.5% would generate about $15 million annually. Padora said that money could address the $3-5 million shortfall the County faces every year at budget planning, reduce property taxes by at least a half-mill, or fund programs.
He said that unlike property taxes, a sales tax would collect from everyone who visits or shops in Schuylkill County, not just money from property owners. And he believes a sales tax would be less burdensome for people on fixed incomes and seniors.
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Scoob
October 29, 2026 at 8:07 am
Just keep on taxing everything for revenue. You raise taxes but you’re still always short. It’s not a revenue problem…. it’s a spending problem.
David j Reed
October 30, 2026 at 7:24 am
Just another way to steal our money and pocket it, Soros organizations own you? Apparently! Working people need to start filling these positions and get the slime out
Dangle
October 29, 2026 at 12:10 pm
Allegheny local sales tax is only 1% not 1.5%
Ed D
October 30, 2026 at 1:39 am
Commissioners can’t think of any abundant mineral that’s exported and taxable? Geez!
Amanda McGuire
October 30, 2026 at 6:35 am
These fat pigs always want more and more to fill their guts.Never satisfied, never enough! Promise you the world while you receive nothing, time after time, after time. How people believe them 🤔
Doo
October 30, 2026 at 2:03 pm
The key there is “it could be used to reduce taxes by 1/2 mill OR fund programs”
So increase sales tax, and they will increase property taxes anyway, as usual.
Steve Lindenmuth
October 30, 2026 at 4:59 pm
He’s choosing a good way to get himself voted out of public office. The only way I could support this kind of tax is if the gas taxes were dropped. Something has to give. It should not fall on the backs of the citizens.
Babs
November 1, 2026 at 5:57 pm
When a business can’t function within its budget, it goes out of business. That needs to apply to management of a government. If the “managers” of the government cannot or will not do it, they need to be fired and more fiscally responsible people need to be put in place. When managing a budget is not working then the budget needs to be reworked!!! TRY THE DOGE METHOD!