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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 13, 2024 04:43 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Lisa M. Boscola |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Property Tax Relief for High Burden Counties |
| Pennsylvanians have long been plagued by high property taxes, driven largely by an overreliance on these taxes as a means of funding public education. A recent report from the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) highlighted the staggering property tax burdens faced by counties across the Commonwealth. Counties such as Northampton and Lehigh face among the highest burdens in the state. As part this year’s budget, the General Assembly attempted to address both the unconstitutional public education funding system as well as provide relief to homeowners long left on the hook for school funding shortfalls. We boosted the state’s basic education funding by $1.1 billion and created a tax equity program with $32 million dedicated to providing badly needed relief for homeowners in school districts with high property tax burdens. Unfortunately, the formula used to dispense the tax equity money falls way short of its intended purpose, leaving homeowners with the heaviest tax burdens shortchanged again. Less than half the money ($13 million) went to school districts in counties in the top five of heaviest tax burdened. Two counties in the top five (Northampton and Pike) received no tax equity money. We need to scrap this convoluted tax equity formula. In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to incorporate IFO data into the tax equity formula to ensure school districts in the counties with the highest tax burden receive priority funding from the tax equity program should it be used again next year. Please join me in sponsoring this vital legislation to get relief to homeowners across Pennsylvania. |
Memo Updated: September 13, 2024 04:44 PM