Phila. tax assessors not required by state to get standard certification

EVERYWHERE IN THE state, except Philadelphia, officially assessing a property without a certificate can get you tossed in jail for up to a year.

But the people who make the assessments that determine Philadelphians' property taxes are not required to be a "certified Pennsylvania evaluator." In fact, the city's chief assessment officer, Richie McKeithen, isn't a CPE and he confirmed that more than half of his 58 inspectors either lack a CPE certificate or need to renew.

McKeithen does hold certified general appraiser licenses from the District of Columbia and Virginia. He came to Philadelphia about a year ago from D.C. to head the Office of Property Assessment.

The OPA was formed last year after voters approved a plan to abolish the Board of Revision of Taxes, following an Inquirer investigation that exposed a history of inaccuracy in property assessments. Several weeks ago, the office's inspectors began the process of determining the market values of local homes - a delicate process that will determine property-tax bills.

Under a 1992 law, assessing property without being a CPE is a third-degree misdemeanor in every Pennsylvania county except Philadelphia. People who fail to obtain a certificate within three years of becoming a government assessor can receive a $2,500 fine and/or up to a year in jail. To obtain the certificate, an assessor must take 90 hours of classes on real-estate valuation and pass a written test.

State Rep. Curtis Thomas, D-North Phila., introduced a bill this year that would require city assessors to obtain a CPE certificate within four years of the bill's passage.

"Philadelphia is the only city which does not require their tax assessors to follow some standards in the industry," said Thomas. "Given the upcoming assessments of multiple properties, my constituents need to know that their assessment will be consistent with statewide standards."

McKeithen said he recently submitted paperwork to the State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers to obtain his CPE certificate in Pennsylvania. He said most of the office's 30 to 35 inspectors who lack an active CPE certificate are being trained to obtain one in order to "get the office more in line with industry standards."

He agreed that getting a certificate is a good idea, even though it's not required by law.

Mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald stressed that the city inspectors hitting the streets are regularly trained and qualified to assess properties.

"This doesn't have anything to do with their ability to do their job," he said.

Given Philadelphia's history of getting assessments wrong, and considering how important it is for the city to now get them right, requiring assessors to meet a statewide training standard seems like a reasonable idea.