PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2301 PRINTER'S NO. 2303
No. 363 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY MELLOW AND REGOLA, JULY 3, 2008
SENATOR REGOLA, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AS AMENDED, JULY 4, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in
2 cooperation with the Department of Community and Economic
3 Development and the Local Government Committee of the Senate <--
4 COMMISSION to conduct a study of the impact that tax-exempt <--
5 real properties have on the fiscal health of Pennsylvania's
6 municipalities.
7 WHEREAS, The growing number of municipalities in fiscal
8 decline impacts Pennsylvanians and Pennsylvania businesses in
9 rural, suburban and urban areas; and
10 WHEREAS, There exists in this Commonwealth a large number of
11 important governmental institutions, not-for-profit medical
12 facilities or institutions of higher learning that rely upon the
13 communities in which they are located for essential government
14 services such as public safety and vital transportation and
15 utility infrastructures; and
16 WHEREAS, These nonprofit or tax-exempt entities contribute to
17 the quality of life of the community through the services they
18 provide, but their impact on local government budgets is no
19 different than for-profit entities; and
1 WHEREAS, These nonprofit or tax-exempt entities rely on
2 important government services, yet, in some cases, they do not
3 contribute a proportional share to the costs of operating and
4 maintaining these local government services; and
5 WHEREAS, Our Pennsylvania communities are facing an epidemic
6 of fiscal distress as they struggle to reconcile mounting costs
7 for public services with stagnant or declining revenue streams
8 resulting in increasing property taxes for the residents and
9 businesses that reside in these municipalities; and
10 WHEREAS, Communities facing fiscal problems find it
11 increasingly difficult to maintain their infrastructure and
12 provide essential services to their residents and businesses
13 without increasing taxes and fees; and
14 WHEREAS, Problems such as rising crime and crumbling streets <--
15 combined with ever-rising taxes convince more and more residents
16 and businesses to leave core communities, further eroding an
17 already depleted tax base; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
19 Finance Committee, in cooperation with the Department of
20 Community and Economic Development and the Local Government
21 Committee of the Senate COMMISSION, to conduct a study and issue <--
22 recommendations, including, but not limited to, the creation of
23 new community development programs, the expansion of existing
24 community development programs, as well as potential sources of
25 Commonwealth financial assistance to assist Pennsylvania's
26 municipalities; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
28 report its findings and recommendations to the Senate no later
29 than November 30, 2008.
G2L82AJM/20080S0363R2303 - 2 -