NCC-Monroe campus gets tax exemption

Northampton Community College was granted a full property tax exemption Wednesday on the bulk of its future $80 million campus off Route 715 near Tannersville.

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poconorecord.com

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Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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Northampton Community College was granted a full property tax exemption Wednesday on the bulk of its future $80 million campus off Route 715 near Tannersville.

The new campus — scheduled to open in April 2014 — will replace the current Tannersville campus near Route 611.

The three Monroe County commissioners — in their role as the county Assessment Board of Appeals — unanimously approved the request, based on NCC's nonprofit status. This includes about 78.5 acres of what had been undeveloped property.

College officials were questioned about why Monroe County resident students pay higher tuition than students in Northampton County.

Monroe campus Dean Matt Connell said tuition for Northampton County students is reduced because eight school districts there provide annual subsidies, but none of Monroe's four school districts contribute to NCC.

Monroe tuition is "reduced slightly" due to a $2.2 million annual contribution of state gambling funds to the new campus construction. Those payments are taking place for 20 years.

NCC tuition here could be reduced additionally if local districts contributed annually to facility operations, as is done in Northampton County, Connell said.