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Kane man heads county Tax Collection Committee |
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Written by Publisher
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Tuesday, 27 October 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
The McKean County Tax Collection Committee (TCC) held its organizational meeting Monday at the Intermediate Unit 9 school center in Smethport. Officers for the TCC include, left to right, seated: Pat Harrier, Roulette Township, secretary; and Mike Holtz, borough of Kane, chairman; standing: Tina Baker, Bradford Area School District, treasurer; and Brenda Long, Otto-Eldred School District, Eldred Borough and Eldred Township, vice chairman.
SMETHPORT – Mike Holtz, a Kane resident who served as Kane borough manager for nearly a decade, has been elected as the first chairman of the McKean County Tax Collection Committee (TCC).
The TCC elected Holtz during its organizational meeting Monday at the Intermediate Unit 9 school center in Smethport. The TCC includes representation from every municipality in McKean County and all five school districts and the municipalities within the school districts.
There could be as many as 31 delegates on the TCC, but several members represent more than one taxing body.
The formation of the county TCC is mandated under state legislative Act 32. The TCC will have the task of selecting a single county collector of earned income tax (EIT) for every municipality and school district. There now are multiple tax collectors in the county, although Berkheimer Associates of Erie handles all EIT collections in the Kane area and the Kane Area School District.
Act 32 was adopted by the State Legislature after reports indicated that municipalities and school districts have lost between $100 million and $250 million in EIT revenue due to shoddy collection practices in some areas.
There now are 506 EIT tax collectors in the state. Under Act 32, there will be 69 – one per county.
The McKean County TCC is designed as an official government agency that will be adopting bylaws and holding public meetings in the future. The next meeting is planned for Monday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at the county 911 center near Smethport.
The state-mandated TCC also will be spending money for legal fees and postage. Due to the need for funding, the TCC soon will be asking municipalities and school districts to kick in their fair share for its proposed initial budget of $7,500. The funding shares will be based on a formula using EIT revenue and population.
Holtz, who is the voting delegate for the borough of Kane, was perhaps the youngest borough manager in the state when he was hired as Kane borough manager at age 25 in January 1995.
Prior to coming to Kane, Holtz had been working at the sewage treatment plant in his hometown of Warren and had received a state license as a sewer plant operator. He was one of a few borough managers in the state with such a license.
Holtz has served on the Kane Area Industrial Development Corporation, the McKean County Planning Commission, the Kane Chamber of Commerce, the former McKean County Solid Waste Authority and the Kane Country Club Board of Directors. He also served as chairman of the Kane United Fund.
A 1986 graduate of Warren High School, Holtz was a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated from Clarion University in 1990 with degrees as both a math and social studies teacher.
Holtz served as a math teacher at Williamsport Community College where he received an associate degree in automotive technology in 1992. He received his masters’ degree in business administration from Gannon University in Erie.
Holtz served as the assistant director of public works in Warren from 1992 until his appointment as Kane borough manager in 1995. He resigned in July 2003. He now serves as the assistant manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for McKean and Elk counties.
The Kane Borough Council originally named Kane School Business Manager Steve Perry as its voting delegate to the TCC.
Perry also serves on the TCC as the voting delegate for the school district, Wetmore Township, Hamilton Township, Mt. Jewett, Highland Township and the Lamont area of Jones Township. Highland and Lamont are in Elk County, but are part of the McKean County TCC because they are within the Kane school district.
Holtz reportedly was asked to consider serving as chairman of the county TCC. Since the committee chairman must be a voting delegate, the Kane Borough Council acted with Perry’s consent and named Holtz to replace Perry as its representative.
In addition to serving as the Kane school business manager, Perry has his hands full as a member of the state Act 32 Task Force.
Joe DeMott, chairman of the McKean County Board of Commissioners, opened the TCC organizational meeting, but stepped aside after Holtz was elected as chairman. The county is not directed involved in the TCC and does not receive EIT funds.
Other officers for the TCC include Brenda Long, Otto-Eldred School District, Eldred Township and borough of Eldred, vice chairman; Tina Baker, Bradford Area School District, treasurer; and Pat Harrier, Roulette Township, secretary.
There is weighted voting on the TCC based on population and EIT revenue. All votes Monday were unanimous.
Susan Jordan, business manager for the Smethport School District, is a delegate on the TCC for the school district and both Hamlin and Sergeant townships.
Perry gave a summary of Act 32 and pointed out that the TCC has until Sept. 15, 2010 to name a single EIT collector in McKean County. He advised the group to make the appointment well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.
DeMott said Perry is “very well versed” in the Act 32 legislation.
“He’s our resident expert,” DeMott said in praising Perry’s knowledge of the state legislation.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 October 2009 )
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