|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. David Levdansky |
|
House adopts Levdansky resolution to study property tax reassessments
HARRISBURG, June 24 – The House adopted a resolution (H.R. 334) today introduced by House Finance Committee Chairman David Levdansky, D-Allegheny/Washington, aimed at finding ways to improve the state's fragmented method of reassessing property values.
Levdansky said his measure authorizes a study to examine the methodology, financing, taxpayer protections and constitutional provisions that impact property tax assessment in Pennsylvania compared to other states.
"This issue has lingered for decades and decades and is just one more factor in Pennsylvanian's struggle with property taxes," Levdansky said. "The study will produce a thorough and comprehensive blueprint on how the General Assembly should proceed in enacting a commonsense and uniform assessment process that is fair to all property taxpayers.
"The existing convoluted system is like a puzzle with pieces that don't fit together. It's no wonder since over the years there have been five different laws passed dealing with reassessments, and there is no cohesiveness to them," Levdansky added. "This hodgepodge method is an administrative nightmare for counties and has become a heated issue, especially in Allegheny County, which is facing a court-imposed mandate to reassess.
"Counties shoulder the entire costs of reassessments, even though municipalities and school districts directly benefit," he explained. "There is no cost sharing and the state does not provide and financial help. It’s an expensive undertaking and few counties have the extra millions of dollars to pay for a reassessment."
Levdansky said the current system results in counties to assessing property values at varying times, causing individual property values to rise dramatically between assessments and leading to disparate assessments on similar properties.
"Bringing uniformity to this system would help homeowners plan for the future and prevent them from suddenly seeing a huge increase in their property taxes when reassessments occur," Levdansky said.
Levdansky worked closely in guiding the resolution through the committee process with state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne, who introduced similar legislation (H.R. 272) calling for property tax assessment reform.
"There is no uniformity to Pennsylvania's property reassessment system, no fairness and no protections for homeowners who see their property tax bills increase dramatically because of a reassessment," Yudichak said today in support of Levdansky's bill.
Levdansky's resolution directs the
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in conjunction with the Local
Government Commission and State Tax Equalization Board, to work with the assessors
and county commissioners associations of Pennsylvania to conduct a study of the
state’s property tax assessment system and compare it with systems in other
states. He also added a provision to focus on practices in other states for
reassessment reform and how it protects senior citizens on fixed incomes.