Large Lump Sum Payments to the Redevelopment Authority Raise Questions about Berks County Commissioners’ Financial Relationship with the Authority

July 3, 2026

By Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks)
Over the course of several years, Berks County residents have had more than $2.5 million of their tax dollars transferred to the Berks County Redevelopment Authority in large lump sum payments.

These payments took the form of highly unusual up-front rent payments for twenty-year periods in four magisterial district court offices leased from the BCRA.

Berks County has 17 Magisterial District Courts. But only these four stand out as unusual in the amount of their lease payments and for 20-year terms.

For example, prior to moving Magisterial District Court 23-3-03 to the former Oley Bingo Hall property, now owned by the Redevelopment Authority, Berks County paid a monthly rent of $1,700 in its old location. The new total up-front payment made by Berks County commissioners to the BCRA for use of the Oley Bingo Hall property divides over 20 years to $3,100 per month.

Comparing rental costs with annual rent increases included in the projection for the old location, this is a loss to the taxpayers of Berks County of $124,000. But taxpayers’ pain is only compounded by the fact that if a non-tax-exempt entity owned the former Bingo Hall property now held by the Redevelopment Authority for those 20 years, a projected additional $460,000 would not have to be offset by taxpayers.

Finally, who will buy a property from the BCRA when they won’t be able to collect rent for 20 years? Isn’t the whole purpose of a redevelopment authority to move properties back to private ownership and paying taxes as soon as possible?

Either something very fishy and untoward is going on or the county commissioners and county agencies owe Berks County taxpayers a coherent explanation.