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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Marc Gergely |
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Gergely: House passes bill making school property tax elimination possible
HARRISBURG, Jan. 17 – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed legislation that would add an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow for greater reduction of school property taxes on residential property.
"Residents across the state identify rising property taxes as the number one issue in Pennsylvania," Gergely said. "People have been losing their homes. With the rise and fall of so many plans and ideas, I am proud to have voted favorably for a bill that could finally provide relief to my constituents.”
The bill (H.B. 1947), sponsored by House Finance Committee Chairman David Levdansky, would allow the General Assembly to exempt the full value of all homesteads from property taxes. Currently, the state constitution limits residential property tax relief to 50 percent of the median assessed value of residential property in a school district.
"Before we can eliminate residential school property taxes, we have to amend the state constitution," Gergely said. "Today we passed the bill needed to start that process."
Gergely said the residential school property tax elimination that would be possible under H.B. 1947 is similar to a property tax elimination plan he worked on two years ago called the S.T.O.P. plan. S.T.O.P stands for Stop Taxing Our Properties. That measure would have eliminated all school, county and municipal residential property taxes.
"I would like to congratulate Chairman Levdansky on this achievement,” Gergely said. “The people have called on us to act, and we finally have an answer to that call.”
Proposed constitutional amendments must pass in two consecutive sessions of the legislature before going to the voters for approval, so the earliest the measure could be on the ballot is 2009. If voters approved the amendment, it would become effective in 2010.
Currently, Pennsylvania homeowners pay about $5.3 billion in school property taxes each year.
The bill now goes before the Senate for consideration.
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CONTACT: Carolyn E. Touma
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