PRINTER'S NO. 2600
No. 311 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY DERMODY, DeLUCA, T. STEVENSON, BENNINGHOFF, COSTA,
JAMES, LEVDANSKY, SHANER, LESCOVITZ, BELARDI, TRICH, WALKO,
PALLONE, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, HERSHEY, WOJNAROSKI, LUCYK,
GRUCELA, HERMAN, DIVEN, MANDERINO, TRAVAGLIO, READSHAW,
SURRA, BELFANTI, MARKOSEK, HANNA, HORSEY, HARHART, SOLOBAY,
STABACK, CREIGHTON, CORRIGAN, BEBKO-JONES, GEORGE, JOSEPHS,
MELIO, TIGUE, WANSACZ, YUDICHAK, CURRY, FRANKEL, PIPPY,
ROBERTS, PISTELLA, ROBINSON, J. WILLIAMS, SAINATO,
YOUNGBLOOD, SAYLOR, STURLA AND THOMAS, OCTOBER 3, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, OCTOBER 3, 2001
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a
2 task force to study the elimination or significant reduction
3 of property taxes as a source of funding for local
4 jurisdictions; to review the policies of states and
5 jurisdictions of the United States which have eliminated
6 property taxes as a source of funding for local
7 jurisdictions; to determine the consequences of such an
8 elimination or reduction on local taxing bodies and on this
9 Commonwealth; and to make recommendations on alternative
10 financing methods for schools, municipalities and other local
11 jurisdictions.
12 WHEREAS, Property taxes levied by local jurisdictions
13 including counties, school districts and municipalities have
14 become a tremendous burden upon homeowners and property owners
15 in this Commonwealth; and
16 WHEREAS, Senior citizens and individuals on fixed incomes
17 have been the most detrimentally affected by the property tax
18 system; and
19 WHEREAS, Problems with fairness in the property tax system
1 have dated back more than 30 years in parts of this Commonwealth
2 and most recently in Allegheny County as a result of a court-
3 ordered reassessment process; and
4 WHEREAS, Several states and jurisdictions including Michigan
5 have sought to eliminate or significantly reduce reliance on
6 property taxes as a source of funding for local jurisdictions
7 and find alternative funding sources for counties, school
8 districts, municipalities and other local jurisdictions;
9 therefore be it
10 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
11 direct the Joint State Government Commission to establish a task
12 force of four members of the Senate and four members of the
13 House of Representatives to undertake a study of the property
14 tax system in this Commonwealth in order to ascertain whether
15 property taxes can and should be eliminated or significantly
16 reduced as a source of funding for local jurisdictions and, if
17 so, to recommend alternative funding sources for those local
18 jurisdictions which are more fair and equitable to the citizens
19 of this Commonwealth; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore and Minority Leader
21 of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House
22 of Representatives each appoint two members to the task force;
23 and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the task force initially review the policies
25 of states and jurisdictions of the United States which have
26 eliminated property taxes as a source of funding for local
27 jurisdictions and determine the consequences that such
28 eliminations or reductions would have on local taxing bodies and
29 on this Commonwealth; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the task force make recommendations of
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1 alternative funding sources for local jurisdictions which are
2 more fair and equitable, and no less fair or less equitable, to
3 citizens of this Commonwealth than the current property tax
4 system; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That the task force be authorized to create an
6 advisory committee composed of individuals deemed appropriate by
7 the task force to assist the task force; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings and
9 recommendations to the General Assembly as soon as possible.
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