Nearly five years after Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center closed its doors, city officials are examining whether property taxes can be imposed on the property at Park Avenue and Randolph Road.
At a City Council town meeting Wednesday night, resident Jim Spear reminded the council that Muhlenberg had asked to have its license withdrawn in 2008 and said the city should be asking for taxes on the property. City Administrator Eric Berry declined to talk about it in the absence of legal counsel, but Councilman Adrian Mapp said he had asked the tax assessor last fall for an update on the need for the city to assess the property. Mapp said at this time it is a "work in progress."
Councilman Cory Storch said although some elected officials believed citizens would come after them "with flaming torches" if they proposed anything but a full medical use, the city was not going to get Muhlenberg back the way it was.
Mapp said the city needs a "reasonable assessed valuation" soon and he wanted to have the tax assessor come before the governing body, but Spear said he was "not sure that is the right thing" to put pressure on (the owners, now known as JFK Health System).
"It is my view that we have to do it," Mapp said. "We have the right to tax any property not being used for a public purpose."
A proposal to put 600 luxury apartments on the Muhlenberg site was floated in March 2012, with a publicity campaign including a "Muhlenberg Moving Forward" web site and public meetings. Residents in the neighborhoods around the site roundly criticized the idea and JFK Health System has made no application to land use boards for project approvals.
The council recently approved $60,000 for a Planning Division study of possible uses for the property. An emergency room on the Muhlenberg campus is scheduled to close in August. Other uses at the site include a nursing school and a dialysis center, which Dr. Harold Yood described Wednesday as for-profit uses.
--Bernice
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Why would anyone be interested in not putting pressure on Solaris for tax money that is due and owing?? Jim, this makes no sense. I have to pay my taxes. So should they. Let them make a PILOT for now until it sells the property. They need to pay something.
ReplyDeleteI have encouraged the City previously to assess real estate taxes for the former Muhlenberg Hospital and charge JFK Health Systems taxes retroactive to the day when the state granted approval for them to surrender their license.
DeleteLast week I brought the subject up again at the City Council meeting - and last night I spoke about it again at the Town Hall meeting. Since the town hall meeting is more of a relaxed setting I was hoping to get the Council to interact and discuss the prospect of charging JFK taxes because we really don't know where they stand on it.
One comment I made challenged the Council to tell me why putting pressure on JFK was NOT in our best interest. It was a question to the Council.
I hope this was helpful to clarify my position.
To Jeff,
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding via Mr. Mapp's explanation at the town hall meeting (it appears that Councilman Mapp was aware of the issue and took action to correct it even though this should have been addressed by the administration), that Solaris is OBLIGATED to pay the taxes. It is the administration that has not moved toward getting this money.
If I am incorrect in my assessment, Councilman, I apologize.
I quote ---- citizens would come after them "with flaming torches" ---- What happened to the discusion on needing to be Civil in our political converstions? Sara Palin was written as an inciter of violence for using "Cross-Hairs" in her campaign speeches. Are torches less violent therefor Okay ??
ReplyDeleteGB
Thanks for the clarification Jim.
ReplyDelete