Luzerne County Council unanimously granted authorization required for Tenor Health Foundation Inc. to proceed with its proposed purchase of the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

The nonprofit Tenor needed council approval to include tax-exempt bonds in its approximately $72 million borrowing package to acquire the hospital. The county is not pledging or obligating funds and won’t be liable for any payments, officials emphasized.

To make the request more palatable for county officials, Tenor agreed to pay the county $850,000 in lieu of taxes annually from 2026 through 2029.

During Tenor’s initial presentation earlier this month, several County Council members expressed concerns about the potential loss of tax revenue if the purchase goes through, as the hospital is currently owned by the fo

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