Budget debate drags on with AVI future uncertain
And we’re back for another marathon budget session today, as it looks increasingly like the mayor’s property tax overhaul may not happen this year. Check out our story today for more details.
Budget debate drags on with AVI future uncertain
Catherine Lucey
And we’re back for another marathon budget session today, as it looks increasingly like the mayor’s property tax overhaul may not happen this year. Check out our story today for more details.
Mayor Nutter is clearly worried about what’s happening to his budget proposal to move the city to a property tax system based on market values. He sped back to town last night from Orlando, FL where he been at the U.S. Conference of Mayors conference.
Council members are reportedly considering holding off for a year on Nutter’s proposal, known as the Actual Value Initiative (AVI). Nutter’s Finance Director Rob Dubow sent out a memo to members warning that keeping the current property tax system for another year would result in appeals that could cost the city up to $100 million dollars.
Sources provided us with a copy of the memo, which you can read here.
It’s going to be a long day as Council debates whether or not to do AVI and how much funding they’ll provide to the school district. Nutter had sought $94 million in additional funding for schools through the move to AVI. We hear Council is discussing providing a much smaller amount – between $20 and $40 million.
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
That memo is so definitive about having new values this fall. After doing...whatever...the past two years, to where they claim they don't have a good guess about total values, OPA's web site says they will go out and do field inspections in August and September, a little keypunching here and there, and then, voila, instant assesment notices for 544,000 properties in October. Sounds so easy. That's exactly how the city government works, isn't it?— bullrun
…Because the issue was highly technical, few Philadelphians other than Commercial property owners and real estate tax professionals paid attention her than the City’s established predetermined ratio of 32%.2 Property owners who were paying attention – again, mostly large commercial property owners – filed roughly 2000 timely real estate tax assessment appeals…Is the Revenue Chief Council in a memo to the Finance Director calling the residents of Philadelphia stupid in trusting City government, thereby promoting a dishonest structure of taxes since property owners are not paying attention… don't we vote to elect based on the belief (trust) that those elected will represent us in a fair and just manner ?
— emoney- …Because the issue was highly technical, few Philadelphians other than Commercial property owners and real estate tax professionals paid attention when the State Tax Equalization Board (“STEB”) ruled last summer that the City’s real estate tax assessment system was inadequate and effectively ordered all real estate tax assessment appeals to be decided using a common level ratio (“CLR”) of 18.1% rather than the City’s established predetermined ratio of 32%.2 Property owners who were paying attention – again, mostly large commercial property owners – filed roughly 2000 timely real estate tax assessment appeals…Is the Revenue Chief Council in a memo to the Finance Director calling the residents of Philadelphia stupid in trusting City government, thereby promoting a dishonest structure of taxes since property owners are not paying attention… don't we vote to elect based on the belief (trust) that those elected will represent us in a fair and just manner ?
— emoney - Hate to be the bearer of bad news but AVI's future is certain. It just means we'll be sued by the state and do it midyear or we'll do it next year when we have values.— stevestevestevesteve
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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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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. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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