Jazz is considered the one unique contribution that the United States has brought to the world of music. It combines chords into note clusters that are put together in note sequences and then matched in rhythms, which becomes the music’s beat produced in repeating patterns. In other words, jazz sounds random, but actually there is a pattern to it. During the work session of the County Commissioners Meeting held on Tuesday, January 21st, I sensed a jazz pattern in the various topics that arose.

The initial notes were sounded over what, at first, seemed like a fairly routine matter — approving the fee structure for the county’s SALDO (Sub-division and Land Development Ordinance) suggested by the Lycoming County Planning Commission. These are the fees that cover development occurring in municipalities without their own fee assessment plans. Every municipality must have such measures in place, however, 21 out of the 52 municipalities in Lycoming County utilize the county for this purpose. In the proposal, for example, a multi-lot subdivision of 2-4 lots would be $175.00 plus $20.00 per new lot.

While reviewing the fees, there arose very quickly an issue by Commissioner Mussare concerning fairness. Are these new fees appropriate to the service that is being offered? This question was
tossed back and forth among the commissioners for some twenty minutes, to which it was finally decided to table the matter to allow more study.

The jazz note cluster of fairness had been struck, and the next sequence would be in the matter of the proposed property reassessment proposal. This was not on the agenda, but like jazz, sometimes it just fits in the music. Assessments are the estimated property values that counties, school districts, and municipalities use to calculate tax bills. These need to be periodically updated to capture current market value, or the amount at which someone could sell a property. This has not been done in Lycoming County for well over a decade, so it is long overdue. It was a hot topic in 2019 but was not noted in the recent list of commissioner objectives.

But like the elephant in the room, it cannot be neglected forever, and as the commissioners generally discussed this topic, it also found its way to the issue of fairness. By law, any reassessment cannot result in raising taxes, which means that dollar for dollar, every property that is devaluated must be matched by another one that is increased in value. How will this be done fairly? It is no wonder this is a very hot potato, as it would be easier finding a left-handed, blond-haired Navaho who speaks Japanese than finding a Lycoming County homeowner who thinks they should pay more property taxes than they are paying.

But the jazz music of fairness was not done, because at the conclusion of business a gentleman addressed the commissioners during the public comments session to promote the Fair Districts PA initiative. After the 2020 census, the political districts will again need to be redrawn, and this always brings about the debate of gerrymandering, the practice intended to establish an unfair political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries. Fair Districts PA proposes utilizing an independent citizens’ commission that would be impartial and transparent, with clear standards to equality, fairness, and integrity to guide the process.

So, what is fair in relation to fee structures, property assessments, and political district boundaries? It is such a subjective matter; this music could easily turn into the Blues. But it need not be so. The inspirational author H. Jackson Brown, Jr. probably summed it up best when he stated, “live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.”

Larry Stout welcomes your comments or input. He can be reached by email: lionwebbweekly@gmail.com.