WHAT’S NEXT ON PROPERTY TAX REFORM
HARRISBURG, JUNE 21 – Only one school district in the 17th Senatorial District opted in to Act 72, but according to state Sen. Connie Williams, that decision by school boards will not be the final word when it comes to providing property tax relief in Pennsylvania.
Williams lent her support to a plan that would allow voters to decide if their school district will accept state-funded property tax relief. The plan was unveiled during a Capitol news conference in Harrisburg on Monday.
The plan would require a referendum be placed on election ballots statewide, asking voters if they want to share in state-funded property tax relief. Additionally, the plan eliminates the 0.1 percent earned income tax increase and lowers the reserve required to trigger tax relief to $150 million from 80 percent to 30 percent at $500 million and to 15 percent at $1 billion distribution. All money collected for tax relief will be distributed among the districts that opt in.
“This isn’t a complex plan,” Williams said. “It gives voters a choice and empowers them to make decisions on property tax reform. And it refocuses our attention on the problem at hand – how to reform our system of property taxes.”
According to Williams, whether it was through Act 72 or another plan, something must be done in Pennsylvania to fix the way schools are funded.
“As we think about the issue, I believe we must agree on some basic principles: Our schools are now funded mainly on property taxes; Property taxes are too high; The state is not paying its fair share; We need alternative funding sources for our schools,” Williams said. “As in other areas of the state, many of my constituents in the 17th Senatorial District are over 65, and many live on fixed incomes. It is unfair to expect them to pay for the continually rising cost of education.”
Williams said that she continues to believe that fair and equitable education of Pennsylvania’s children is one of the most important responsibilities of the Commonwealth.