One of the constant complaints we hear from most Warren County government officials is the lack of property on the tax rolls.

County officials have been among the most vociferous complainers regarding the lack of taxable property in the county, with county officials still howling – rightly so, in our opinion – regarding state game lands expansion that took more property off the tax rolls back in 2023.

That’s one reason why it was always preferable for the Warren County School District to sell the Youngsville High School building – quickly – to a for-profit entity that would put the building back on the tax rolls. The move would benefit the borough of Youngsville, which would be able to shift a bit of the cost of borough services from homeowners to a new business.

We’re sure county officials have their reasons for agreeing to a 25-year lease of the building that includes one year just to figure out exactly what the heck the county is going to do with the building. One of those reasons is probably to try to play peacemaker between the Warren County School District and Youngsville residents who aren’t happy with the idea of selling the Youngsville High School Building. Leasing the building to the county would provide the county the option of using some of the space for county offices, lease space to county-backed agencies or non-profits and allow the use of athletic and locker room facilities for the Youngsville community. The county lease may bring activity back into the building more quickly than if it sits empty – as some Youngsville residents have advocated for when asking the school district not to sell too quickly.

The county’s lease isn’t the worst use of the building that could emerge. But the best use of the building, in our view, is to be back on the tax rolls through a sale to a for-profit entity. The county can’t argue from one side of its mouth that too much property has been taken off the tax rolls and then take yet another parcel off the tax rolls, even if it is doing so for good reasons.