LACKAWANNA
Haxton fails to halt sale of Lackawanna lots
The new year ushered in old rivalries Monday as the Lackawanna City Council conducted its reorganization meeting.
Disputed issues between 1st Ward Councilwoman Andrea Haxton and the rest of the Council included the sale of a group of city owned parcels at Ingham and James streets to Abulsalam Noman of Eaton Street for the sum of $1,500, plus survey and closing costs.
Haxton insisted that the proposed purchase price was far too low compared with prices paid for other similar sized parcels in the city.
“I feel the city is getting cheated,” Haxton said.
Her call for tabling the item received support only from 2nd Ward Councilman Geoffrey Szymanski and failed to make it to a vote. In the roll call on the sale, Szymanski voted with the other three lawmakers to approve it.
Council President Charles Jaworski defended the sale, noting that Noman planned to build a house on the parcel that could be valued as high as $200,000 and that the annual property taxes paid on the improved property would more than make up for the initial purchase price of the lots.
Haxton accused her colleagues of indulging favoritism, noting that Noman is a Democratic committeeman.
During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, Noman acknowledged that he, indeed, is a Democratic committeeman before taking a verbal swipe at Haxton, who has recently been the subject of public scrutiny for being in arrears on her own property taxes.
“I would like to thank the City Council members . . . for selling me the lot to build a home. At least, I have a house right now, and I’m paying my taxes. That’s the key. I’m going to be paying taxes for the new home,” Noman said.
Haxton and the rest of the Council also battled over the order of the roll call when city lawmakers are called upon to vote. She requested that her name be called last, but the rest of the Council voted to conduct the roll call in order from the 1st Ward Council member to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th wards, and the Council president last.
