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PRINTER'S NO. 2132
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
447
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY McGARRIGLE, EICHELBERGER, HUTCHINSON, WOZNIAK AND
BLAKE, OCTOBER 13, 2016
REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 13, 2016
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Establishing a task force to implement recommendations related
to the efficiency, transparency, modernization and fairness
of the property assessment process in this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, The report resulting from House Resolution No. 334,
Printer's No. 2292 (2009), and those of the task forces
established by House Resolutions No. 343, Printer's No. 2145,
and No. 344, Printer's No. 2146 (2011), examined and identified
crucial tasks for the improvement of the real property
assessment process in this Commonwealth, including:
(1) The development of a self-evaluation tool for
counties to determine when a reassessment is warranted.
(2) The development of a set of uniform standards for
county reassessment contracting.
(3) The development of an assessment operations manual
for counties.
(4) The development of criteria and procedures for data
submission by counties to the State Tax Equalization Board
(STEB) and the verification of the submitted data by STEB.
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(5) Addressing insufficient sample data and assuring and
disclosing that the sample data relied upon by STEB to
develop a county's performance measures during a reassessment
are representative of the bulk of the county's property
inventory.
(6) The development of a uniform training program for
individuals and organizations collecting the data that are
provided to the county assessor.
(7) The examination of the current legal requirements
for property valuation, assessment and appeals in this
Commonwealth and the identification of any advisable changes;
and
WHEREAS, The act of April 18, 2013 (P.L.4, No.2) consolidated
STEB into the Department of Community and Economic Development
and required STEB, in consultation with the County Commissioners
Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) and the Assessors'
Association of Pennsylvania (AAP), to undertake a number of the
aforementioned tasks, including the development of contracting
standards, the operations manual and a Statewide training
program, as well as creating and maintaining a Statewide
database; and
WHEREAS, Although progress has been made, additional
resources and oversight would facilitate completion of
recommendations and further study of outstanding issues; and
WHEREAS, Taxpayers are entitled to a fair, equitable,
accurate, efficient and transparent real property assessment
system and such a system is a critical necessity to adequate
school and municipal funding, yielding significant savings in
taxpayer, governmental and judicial time and resources;
therefore be it
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RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
General Assembly appoint a task force to:
(1) Examine, facilitate and oversee the implementation
of recommendations related to the efficiency, transparency,
modernization and fairness of the property valuation and the
real property assessment process in this Commonwealth.
(2) Identify and propose other practical solutions to
inaccuracies or inequities in the assessment process.
(3) Develop legislation as may be necessary to
effectuate the goals of the task force;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the task force be comprised of members as
follows:
(1) Four representatives from the Local Government
Commission, appointed by the chairperson of the Local
Government Commission, one from the majority caucus of the
Senate, one from the minority caucus of the Senate, one from
the majority caucus of the House of Representatives and one
from the minority caucus of the House of Representatives. Two
of the members appointed under this paragraph shall be
designated by the chairperson of the Local Government
Commission as cochairpersons of the task force.
(2) Two members of the Local Government Committee of the
Senate, one appointed by the chairperson of the Local
Government Committee of the Senate and one appointed by the
minority chairperson of the Local Government Committee of the
Senate.
(3) Two members of the Local Government Committee of the
House of Representatives, one appointed by the chairperson of
the Local Government Committee of the House of
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Representatives and one appointed by the minority chairperson
of the Local Government Committee of the House of
Representatives.
(4) One appointee of the Governor from each of the
following departments:
(i) The Department of Community and Economic
Development.
(ii) The Department of Revenue.
(5) Additional members as may be deemed advisable by the
cochairpersons;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the task force utilize the services of a
working group, subject to priorities as may be determined by
collaboration between the working group and the task force, to
continue previous efforts in assessment reform and provide the
technical assistance necessary to achieve the objectives of this
resolution. The working group may be comprised of the following:
(1) Staff of the Local Government Commission, as
designated by the executive director of the Local Government
Commission.
(2) Staff of the County Commissioners Association of
Pennsylvania (CCAP), as designated by the executive director
of CCAP.
(3) Representatives of the Assessors' Association of
Pennsylvania (AAP), as designated by the executive director
of AAP.
(4) Staff of the Legislative Budget and Finance
Committee, as designated by the executive director of the
committee.
(5) Staff of the State Tax Equalization Board, as
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designated by the executive director of the board.
(6) Additional personnel as may be required by the task
force;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Local Government Commission shall provide
additional support to the efforts of the working group and the
task force as the Local Government Commission deems necessary
and consistent with the powers and duties of the Local
Government Commission as provided under the act of May 29, 1935
(P.L.244, No.102), referred to as the Local Government
Commission Law; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the task force, in coordination with the
working group, submit a report with the task force's findings
and recommendations, including proposed legislative remedies, to
the Local Government Committee of the Senate and the Local
Government Committee of the House of Representatives no later
than 24 months after the passage of this resolution.
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