An extremely close three-way race for Scranton tax collector ended with Bill Fox narrowly winning the Democratic nomination.
The Scranton School Board member edged out Scranton Councilman Frank Joyce and opponent Anthony W. DiBileo, racking up 34.3 percent of the vote.
Mr. Fox garnered 3,648 votes, with Mr. Joyce getting 3,502 votes and Mr. DiBileo 3,486, with all but one precinct reporting according to unofficial returns Tuesday night.
No Republicans ran for a spot in the primary.
The tax collector, who earns $53,300 a year, oversees the Single Tax Office, which collects taxes for the city, Lackawanna County and Scranton School District, as well as current and delinquent business privilege and mercantile taxes for the city and school district.
Mr. Fox could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
During his campaign, he said he would comply with state laws that require collected taxes by the office to be kept in separate accounts to ensure funds are disbursed to the respective government bodies properly.
Mr. Fox also said he would try to use the city solicitor for the Single Tax Office's legal services, contrary to precedent set by various tax collectors over the years, who hired separate solicitors for the job.
Mr. Fox will run for a four-year tax-collector term in the Nov. 5 general election.
Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter
Scranton tax collector
ââBill Fox 3,648
Frank Joyce 3,502
Anthony W. DiBileo 3,486