Dallas City News

Luzerne County may consider expanding a real estate property tax exemption program for military veterans permanently disabled in the line of duty.

The exemption is currently available only to veterans disabled during a period of war.

County Veteran Affairs Director James Spagnola said there has been discussion for years about the unfairness of excluding veterans who are 100% disabled due to their service solely because they were not enlisted during a war.

Attorneys at the state determined counties have the ability to grant the exemption without the wartime requirement, Spagnola said, noting a few counties already implemented the change.

Spagnola said his office regularly receives inquiries from disabled veterans who served at times not considered periods of war.

“It’s tough to explain to someone severely injured that because their injury occurred at another time period they do qualify. If someone is totally disabled from military service, you would think they would be treated fairly,” Spagnola said.

The county has approximately 21,000 veterans based on the latest data, and 763 are participating in the tax exemption program because they served during wartime, Spagnola said.

He does not expect a large number would be added due to elimination of the wartime requirement.

“We’re not talking about a huge expansion, but it’s the right thing to do,” Spagnola said.

Neighboring Lackawanna County expanded the program to include non-wartime disabled veterans in early 2023, said the county’s Veteran Affairs director Tim Booth.

Approximately 500 wartime disabled veterans participate in the exemption there, and 20-25 were added from non-wartime service, Booth said.

He stressed the state requires veterans to be “100% total and permanently disabled” and meet annual income limits to receive an exemption.

Booth said soldiers in non-wartime periods still protected their country and “signed on the dotted line that they would give their life if need be to serve their country.”

“If we can take care of some of those veterans, I really don’t have any problem with that,” he said.

Spagnola said he is compiling a detailed summary to be presented to county council at a future meeting.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the proposal is under development.

“The administration is supportive of the initiative, but we need to work through the logistics so county council has all the information it needs to make a decision,” Crocamo said.

Spagnola, a U.S. Navy veteran who has worked in the county veteran affairs office for 17 years, said every county disabled veteran receiving the exemption has visited his office to apply for the benefit. Eligibility reviews also are required every five years.

“Nobody can repay them for their sacrifice,” Spagnola said. “This program is the people of the county showing their appreciation for the sacrifice these veterans made.”

He is saddened by the gradual loss of veterans from World War II and the Korean War during his tenure.

Spagnola expects residents will be supportive of the expansion.

“Simply put, these are veterans from our county who answered the call to service, and because of it, they are severely injured and disabled,” he said. “We have a duty to care for those that made the decision to serve.”

Information about the exemption is available by contacting county veteran service officer Frances Capparell at 570-825-1650.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.