|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State Rep. Sean Ramaley
State Rep. Eugene DePasquale D-York
|
|
Ramaley, DePasquale offer measure to 'go further' than slots-funded school property tax reduction
HARRISBURG, Jan. 30 – At a news conference today at the state Capitol, state Reps. Sean Ramaley, D-Beaver/Allegheny, and Eugene DePasquale, D-York, unveiled a plan that would go beyond slots-funded property tax relief by reserving a portion of future state budget surpluses to fund school property tax reduction.
House Bill 2210, sponsored by Ramaley and co-sponsored by DePasquale, would create the Property Tax Relief Fund. In fiscal years when there is a state budget surplus, 50 percent of the surplus would be deposited into the fund. When the fund reached $100 million, the money would be distributed to school districts to be used for residential property tax reduction on top of that already being provided by slots revenues.
"This bill would provide additional property tax relief without raising or creating new taxes," Ramaley said. "Because the additional school property tax reduction would be funded by budget surpluses, it would only be given when the state could afford it. The bill makes good fiscal sense."
"Reducing property taxes is the number one issue I hear when I talk to my constituents and many of my colleagues in the House say the same," DePasquale said. "By utilizing half of any budget surplus we generate we could continue to move forward on offering additional school property tax cuts. We know that this is not the entire solution, but it could be an important part in moving toward residential property tax elimination."
Nearly three dozen House members have signed on as co-sponsors of H.B. 2210.
###lr/2008/bfg l:\print\releases\PropTaxFund.016
Attention Radio News Directors: Actualities from Reps. Ramaley and DePasquale are available by calling 1-800-452-3001.For Ramaley, enter PA16 (7-2-1-6) and the pound (#) sign at the menu prompt. For DePasquale enter PA95 (7-2-9-5) and the pound (#) sign at the menu prompt. You may also download the actualities in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.
|
|