Pocono International Raceway’s attempt to secede from Tunkhannock Township suffered another setback as the Commonwealth Court upheld a lower-court ruling to block the effort.

PIR, located in Long Pond, is owned by the Mattioli family, which filed a petition in court to secede from the township and to act as its own self-governing municipality.

PIR pays $157,000 to the township in annual taxes and the Mattiolis do not feel they get their money’s worth in municipal services.

The Commonwealth Court upheld the prior ruling of county Judge James Marsh, who ruled the move to secede would have improperly given “one family complete governmental control.”