The University of Scranton Makes Annual Voluntary Contribution to City and Lackawanna County
The University of Scranton presented the city of Scranton with its annual voluntary contribution of $175,000 for 2014. The University’s voluntary contributions total more than $3.1 million since 1983. The voluntary contribution is in addition to the numerous other ways the University positively impacts the community and economy. Standing, from left, are: Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright and University of Scranton President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.
The University of Scranton has provided a voluntary contribution to the City of Scranton and Lackawanna County for more than 30 years. Since 1983, the University’s voluntary contributions to the City have totaled more than $3.1 million and more than $1.4 million to the County.
Although exempt from some taxes, the University contributes to tax revenues in a variety of ways. As a major employer in Lackawanna County, the University’s employees living in Scranton paid $569,609 in wage taxes last year and another $89,050 in local services tax, to help support the City’s emergency services.
The voluntary contribution is also in addition to fees for building permits and business privilege taxes paid to the city of Scranton, which have amounted to $1,765,247 in building permit fees and $1,218,218 in business privilege tax for last five major construction projects, not including fees paid by Scranton-based contractors and suppliers.
The University also pays tax on properties not yet converted to educational use. Since 2010, for example, the University paid property taxes totaling almost $491,000 to the City of Scranton, Scranton School District, Lackawanna County and other municipalities.
The voluntary contribution is among the many ways that the University gives to the community, which include the free health care services provided to 1,700 uninsured Lackawanna County patients on an annual basis through the Leahy Community Health and Family Center and the more than 175,000 hours of volunteer service given by students annually.
