Cambria County Commissioners and the Redevelopment Authority are starting a fund dedicated to tearing down abandoned properties.
Starting March 1, a $15 fee will be charged for new deeds and mortgages recorded in Cambria County and all the money collected through the fund will go to demolishing blighted properties within the county.
The fund is projected to take in about $106,000 a year, which will allow for seven to 10 properties to be demolished each year. While county officials couldn’t give an estimate of the total number of properties they want to demolish, in Johnstown alone, city leaders want to tear down 1,300 blighted buildings.
The county commissioners said getting rid of these abandoned buildings will improve property values and encourage other businesses to move to the area.
“It’s an everyday battle with blight in our county, but not so much our county, but the whole state and I think probably in a lot of areas across the United States,” Ray Wendekier, recorder of deeds for Cambria County, said. “And this is an effective tool to help combat that.”
The Cambria County Redevelopment Authority is finalizing the application process for municipalities to receive demolition funding.
“If you come to Cambria County and all you see is blight, it’s not a good sign. So this is a step in the right direction,” Commissioner William Smith said.