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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	January 9, 2019 12:59 PM
From:	Representative Dan K. Williams
To:	All House members
Subject:	Senior Property Tax Freeze

Across Pennsylvania, the median real estate tax bill is $2,603. However, this is problematic because, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 17,000 Pennsylvania seniors with no income, and a total of 409,000 Pennsylvania seniors with an annual income of $20,000 or less. That means there are thousands of seniors whose annual income is small and whose property tax rebate will not cover all of their bill. As property taxes increase, those property tax bills will get harder and harder to pay for some of our older Pennsylvanians, straining their finances and fueling their worries. That is why I am introducing legislation that would implement a property tax freeze for school district property taxes owed by older Pennsylvanians. An individual who is 65 or older, and who has qualified for a homestead property tax exemption at their current residence for at least five years, would be eligible. 2019 would act as the base year for the freeze. However, school districts would not have to struggle with the loss of this funding; the state would reimburse school districts from the Property Tax Relief Fund. Under my plan, seniors would be able to have confidence when it comes time to pay their property tax bills each year, without any added uncertainty for schools. Please join me in giving Pennsylvania’s senior citizens peace of mind that their property taxes will not skyrocket in the coming years. Your consideration and co-sponsorship are appreciated.

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