A lot of time and effort has gone into a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act program for Warren County.

For all the time, thought and talk that led to the program’s approval last week, we hope it helps spur some new development.

The program allows municipalities to keep taxes the same on property improvements and new construction on both residential and commercial properties with a maximum benefit of five years of 100% tax abatement. A person building a new home or redeveloping a property would not have their taxes increased beyond their current amount for up to five years.

Twelve of the county’s 27 municipalities have signed on to participate in the program. Ten of the municipalities – the city of Warren, Youngsville, Clarendon and Tidoute boroughs as well as Glade, Pleasant, Limestone, Watson, Cherry Grove and Sheffield townships – are offering up to 100 percent residential and commercial for five years while Conewango and Pine Grove are offering more limited versions of a LERTA program.

“No other place that I’m aware of is going to be aggressive on this as we are,” said Commissioner Jeff Eggleston.

That’s good. For all the effort that went into the LERTA, the county and its partners should be aggressive trying to get people to use the tax abatement to spur some new economic development activity. It would be an absolute shame if all of this work and planning ends up being for naught.