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State may require more transparency in property tax assessments
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
State may require more transparency in property tax assessments
Civic leaders from around Philly have been lobbying the city to release more information about just how they came to the new property tax assessments, which are supposed to represent "actual values" but have drawn criticism from residents and politicians. They may get an assist from new legislation that the state House and Senate passed and sent to Gov. Corbett for his signature. Among the stipulations of Senate Bill 66, which would standardize reassessment processes across the state, is a requirement that "the methodology used … to value property in this commonwealth be made public."
A great deal of mic time at yesterday's City Council hearing on tax delinquency was dedicated to griping about the impenetrability of the Revenue Department. (Councilman Jim Kenney's comment about the department's "appalling lack of cooperation" was just one example.) City Controller Alan Butkovitz has also been asking for the information, warning of the city's liability if OPA's assessments are as far off as many allege.
According to Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association president Matt Ruben — who is part of a group, Crosstown Coalition of Taxpayers, that is demanding more information — the impact of that does filter down to citizens: "We need to be able to understand the methods [assessors] used" especially in order to file appeals. "How does the average homeowner get the information and expertise to speak intelligently in this [review] meeting with [the Office of Property Assessment]?"
The bill also implements a number of reforms, like making an operations manual for assessments, a statewide database of property values and statewide training programs for assessors. And, of course, "Standards shall require the methodology to be made public, and all data and calculations are the property of the county and the Commonwealth."
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