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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 20, 2017 03:34 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Property Tax Rebate Prepayment - "Prebate" |
| I will soon reintroduce HB 2019 from last session. This legislation will amend the Property Tax Rebate program to include an option for homeowners who qualify for the rebate to elect to receive their rebate in the form of a credit to their property tax bill in the future. This would be a critical tool for seniors who struggle each year to pay their property taxes. Every year I have people come into my office seeking help with their property taxes because they do not have the resources to pay the bill, these vulnerable seniors are faced with a decision no person should have to make, that between cutting spending on food and other necessities and staying in their homes; the system is currently designed so that a senior has to first pay their property taxes entirely before being able to even apply for the rebate. With property taxes on the rise and the unwillingness of our legislature to address the issue of property taxes, this option would allow our most vulnerable to receive the relief that they desperately need. Under my legislation, the credit would be made based on the anticipation that from year-to-year the award amount will not fluctuate greatly for the majority of seniors and therefore, our seniors should be entitled to their money sooner rather than later. Understand this is not an alternative to school property tax elimination, which I continue to support. This is an attempt to help minimize the practical difficulty of affording property tax payments in the interim. Please join me and cosponsor this bill so that our Commonwealth might better serve the needs of our most vulnerable seniors and ensure that they are able to remain in their homes. |
Introduced as HB1437