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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Board of Revision of Taxes board this morning unanimously voted to approve an agreement with the administration to temporarily hand assessment authority to the city finance department, according to a BRT staffer.

The embattled BRT board held hearings on the arrangement over a week ago, after the city solicitor deemed that the original closed-door deal violated the state Sunshine Act. Today's vote was not publicized on the BRT website.

The original agreement – known as a Memorandum of Understanding -- was approved by all six BRT members at an Oct. 7 meeting. But the deal came under fire for lack of transparency.

The understanding between the city and BRT is temporary. City Council is considering legislation that, if approved by voters, would abolish the BRT by 2011 and to create two new agencies: the Office of Property Assessment and the Board of Property Assessment Appeals.

The BRT came under fire this year with a series in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which detailed years of mismanagement, political patronage and flawed assessments at the agency.

Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 10:07 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:02 AM, 12/09/2009
    The clock is ticking: Do I hear TAX INCREASE. Do I hear SIZABLE TAX INCREASE. Hopefully City Council can forsee this and does not give this one term mayor permanent control over tax assessments. There's a reason for separation of powers.
    anti-tax


1 comments
About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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Catherine Lucey
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Chris Brennan
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Jan Ransom
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