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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tim Seip |
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Seip, Goodman vote for constitutional amendment to allow elimination of homeowners’ school property taxes
HARRISBURG, Jan. 17 – State Reps. Tim Seip and Neal Goodman voted today to pass a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would allow the elimination of all school property taxes on primary homes and farms.
“This shows the House of Representatives means business and is moving forward on property tax reform,” said Seip, who is a co-sponsor of the amendment (H.B. 1947).
“Until we change the constitution, we are blocked from eliminating school property taxes on primary homes and farms. I hope the Senate will soon join us in passing this crucial amendment,” said Goodman, who also is a co-sponsor.
As a member of the House Finance Committee, Seip previously voted to send the legislation to the full House. The proposed amendment passed the House 193-0 today and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Currently, the state constitution includes a “homestead exemption,” approved by voters in 1997, which essentially limits school property tax relief to 50 percent of the median assessment in a school district. The proposed amendment would allow the General Assembly to create a full-value exemption from property taxes for residential and farm properties.
To be included in the state constitution, an amendment must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions and be approved by voters. That means the earliest it could go before voters is next year.
To help homeowners in the meantime, Seip and Goodman are co-sponsoring another bill that is expected to be considered by the House the week of Jan. 28. That legislation (H.B. 1600) would provide an average reduction of about 40 percent in school property taxes for homeowners as soon as next year. It would fund the relief by shifting more of the education funding burden to the state sales and income taxes.
Both lawmakers also welcomed the recent announcement that later this year, Pennsylvania homeowners of all ages will receive their first property tax cut funded by slots gaming revenue. The state’s share of slots revenue has reached the amount required by law for property tax cuts to begin. Slots revenue already has funded a major expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program that helps seniors 65 and older, widows and widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities who are 18 or older.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ben Turner |