READING, Pa. – Berks County resident Harry Stauffer complained to the Berks County commissioners at their meeting Thursday that the county was losing large sums of money because the taxes paid at the settlement for a home sale were based on the appraised value of the property and not its sale price.

Commission chair, Christian Leinbach, and chief operations officer, Kevin Barnhardt, explained that in Berks County, the legal process is to base the taxes on the assessed value. Unfortunately, the last county assessment was done in 1994. Today, they said assessments average about 30% of the selling price when the standard should be 80% of the sales price.

Left unsaid was the question of when a new county assessment would take place.

Commissioner Dante Santoni reported that last week he and others met with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro about the proposed ICE facilities in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Santoni said the meeting was very productive and that Shapiro promised to do everything in his power to halt the ICE projects.

Leinbach and Commissioner Michael Rivera noted that on Tuesday, March 10, there will be a special Town Hall meeting at the Robesonia Community Library from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Business matters

The commissioners adopted a resolution authorizing 2025 Budget Transfers in the amount of $2,106,439; 2025 Appropriations in the amount of $278,159; 2026 Transfers in the amount of $105,472 and 2026 Appropriations in the amount of $91,177.

A resolution authorizing submission of the Application for Reimbursement of the County Recycling Coordinator position to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Management for reimbursement of 50% of the salary, benefits, and expenses paid to the Berks County Recycling Coordinator for the calendar year 2025 (known as the 903 Recycling Coordinator grant) was adopted.

The commissioners also adopted a resolution authorizing the execution of the Juvenile Probation Services Grant Agreement, including the execution of the proposed budget signature page, between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission of the Office of General Counsel and Berks County for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. This resolution shall further authorize the chief operations officer, Kevin Barnhardt, to execute all documents and agreements necessary to facilitate and assist in obtaining the requested grant.

In addition, a resolution authorizing Christian Y. Leinbach, Chair, to execute the amended and restated Berks County Infrastructure Loan Fund Agreement between the County of Berks and the Berks County Industrial Development Authority effective March 5, 2026, subject to final review and approval by the Solicitor’s Office was approved.

The commissioners approved the engagement of Jason Michael Kercher from March 5, 2026 to June 30, 2026 for the provision of serving subpoenas, bench warrants, summonses, notices, complaints, and to transport youth from one location to another as requested by County Children and Youth Services and Juvenile Probation Office.

Also, the commissioners approved a purchase of service agreement with Homestead Family Services from March 5, 2025 to June 30, 2027 for the provision of in-home services to County clients as requested by Children and Youth services and Juvenile Probation Office.