Nov 26, 2015 2 min read

Senate Bill 76, which was narrowly rejected by the Pennsylvania State Senate Monday, would have been a breath of fresh air for property owners in the commonwealth.

Total elimination of property taxes would have been a win-win for everybody. Establishing property tax values is subjective at best and cannot be totally fair and equitable. We are in the midst of reassessment here in Washington County. This process will cost the taxpayers close to $8 million. And then when the results are presented to property owners, there will be thousands of appeals. This further complicates the system and adds additional costs.

All of these tax vehicles are already in place and the collection of these taxes will be done at minimal cost. Along with the lower costs of tax collection, every one of the 67 counties in the state will be able save money with the elimination of assessment offices and real estate tax collection offices. These savings will also extend to local municipalities and school districts.

We are not so naive to think that we will be paying fewer taxes. Some people, in fact, will be paying more. But, this type of taxation is more equitable across the board and costs less to collect. Along with the equity, this type of taxing is more of a “pay as you go” tax and not an annual burden to your budget.

William I. Iams

Amity