Posted: | February 27, 2018 11:48 AM |
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From: | Representative Karen Boback |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Property Tax Exemption for Retired Police Officers |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would establish an optional property tax relief program for retired local and state police officers in exchange for their service to their local school district. As many of you well know, property taxes continue to be an issue for many residents across the Commonwealth. At the state level, we have taken measures to ease this burden on our residents, most recently with the approval of a homestead exclusion amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution. Several local entities, within their granted powers, have also implemented exemptions of various forms, particularly for our senior citizens. While nothing in my bill would prevent local officials from enacting additional exemptions as they currently have the ability to do, my bill will establish an optional property tax relief program for retired local and state police officers. Specifically, my bill will allow public school districts across the Commonwealth to implement an optional program that would allow a retired police officer, either local or state, to volunteer at their local school district in which they reside. In exchange, the volunteer will receive a real property tax exemption for their service. In order to be eligible for the tax exemption, an accepted individual must volunteer 40 hours per week during the academic school year and maintain their training credentials. This exemption will be solely for any property tax assessed by the school district. This program will not exempt any property tax assessed by a home county or municipality. I believe this program will be a great service to our school districts while also providing an opportunity for our retired local and state police officers to remain active residents of their municipality. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB2563