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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tim Seip |
   
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Seip votes to advance school property tax elimination plan
Also hails movement on his bill to ban 'spot appeals' of assessments
HARRISBURG, July 3 – State Rep. Tim Seip voted today to advance a bill that would eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania at the end of 2009.
As a member of the House Finance Committee, Seip voted to send the bill to the full House of Representatives. The legislation (H.B. 1600) would end school property taxes on primary homes and farms. Seip expects the education funding burden would shift to income and sales taxes.
"The school property tax is a tough burden for a lot of homeowners to carry, and this bill would provide relief they need. First, it would freeze millage rates for 2009 for school property taxes, and then it would eliminate the school property tax as of 2010," Seip said.
Once the rates were frozen, the bill would give the state legislature 15 months to implement a permanent method to eliminate school property taxes. In the meantime, the measure would transfer funds from the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to cover any allowable increases approved by local school boards in 2009.
Seip also welcomed movement in the General Assembly on his legislation to ban "spot appeals" of assessments that have affected many homeowners in Schuylkill and Berks counties.
"These spot appeals are initiated only because a property is sold, despite the fact that a similar or identical property nearby may continue to be taxed at a lower rate," Seip said. "Singling out individual homeowners like that is wrong. My bill passed the House in May on a strongly bipartisan vote of 195-3, so I am hopeful on the chances of favorable action from the Senate and the governor."
The Senate could vote as early as today on a bill (H.B. 1438) that Seip introduced to ban spot appeals. If passed without amendments, it would go to the governor.
That bill would apply in Berks County and third-class-population counties. The House is poised to vote as soon as Friday on a Senate bill (S.B. 1247) that would ban spot appeals in Schuylkill County and other fourth- through eighth-class-population counties. That bill, introduced by state Sen. Jim Rhoades, R-29th District, passed the Senate in June and is similar to Seip's H.B. 1439, which passed the House in May.
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Attention Radio News Directors: actualities from Rep. Seip on both of these topics will be available later today by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA125 (7-2-125) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.