A court-ordered countywide reassessment and its Jan. 1, 2026 completion deadline drew sharp attention at the Lackawanna County budget hearing in Dunmore on Oct. 15, 2025.

"We do not want to pause. No," Commissioner Bill Gahan said, citing a court order he attributed to Judge Tom Mummley and warning that delaying reassessment would "screw up every budget in Lackawanna County" and risk renewed litigation by plaintiffs who sued over the county's long absence of reassessment.

Janet Bridal, president of the Dunmore Borough Council, and residents including William O'Malley told commissioners they support reassessment. Bridal said many municipalities in the county need updated valuations and described reassessment as essential for local budget planning.

Commissioner Sacco said she also supports reassessment but emphasized it must be conducted fairly and that appeals and final hearings are still under review. Sacco said she had not yet finished analyzing appeal results and would assess reassessment outcomes before taking further action.

Officials said the reassessment process began in 2022 and included multiple public hearings and an informal appeals phase followed by a formal appeals process. Gahan emphasized that disagreements with valuations are resolved through the appeals process rather than by pausing assessment work.

Residents and municipal leaders told commissioners they rely on final reassessment valuations to complete their own budgets. Commissioners warned that uncertainty on reassessment timing would have ripple effects on boroughs, townships and municipalities throughout the county.

No policy change on the reassessment schedule was proposed or voted on during the hearing; commissioners said they will continue to monitor appeals and legal obligations as the Jan. 1, 2026 date approaches.