All about the Oct. 7 property tax relief vote

(The Center Square) – Longtime homeowners in all but two of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties face the same problem: property tax bills that rise every year, often beyond what they can afford.

State-level elected officials say they will fix it, perennially. And for the counties that comprise Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, they actually have, through the Longtime Owner-Occupant Program.

The provision exempts or defers tax increases for those who’ve lived in their homes for at least 10 years by limiting assessments to between 50% and 75% of the previous value. This effectively “locks in” the tax rate for low-income owners, protecting them against gentrification.

And on Monday in the House of Representatives, lawmakers unanimously approved legislation that could expand the program to the entire state, provided voters agree to amend the constitution to do so.

If approved, the Legislature could expand the program in future years and local officials could then decide if it’s “feasible” in their counties. This process was similar to what happened in the cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

“I believe creating options to address the property tax burden on an ever-aging state is a worthwhile endeavor,” said Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Kennett Square, who sponsored the bill.

Not everyone who voted for the bill is celebrating, however. That’s because constitutional amendments follow a yearslong process to make it to the ballot box, starting with bicameral legislative approval in two consecutive sessions.

After each passage, the Department of State must hit a 90-day advertising deadline. Failure to do so pushes the effort back to the start, as notoriously happened in 2021 with an amendment that would have given childhood sexual assault survivors a window to sue their abusers and was just weeks away from voters’ approval.

This property tax relief bill comes less than two months before the end of session on Nov. 30. Even if it passed the Senate immediately, there’s not enough time left to advertise.

Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Weissport, blamed House Democratic leadership, who control the voting schedule, for political posturing.

“There’s support for this, had the leader not blocked it,” he said during a podcast in the days before the bill passed. “But they blocked it because they don’t want to resolve property taxes. They like the property taxes.”

Heffley sponsored a similar amendment earlier in the session and describes himself as a longtime champion of the effort. He said some homeowners watch property taxes rise 400% over the years, increasing from $1,500 a year to over $8,000 – an amount that forces many to sell their homes.

Heffley said had leadership scheduled his bill for a vote, there’d have been time to get it to the ballot box in 2025. As it stands now, it could be six years before that happens.

“Now they want to run it and act like they are doing something,” he said.

Democratic lawmakers did not deny the time constraints, but rather pointed to opposition to increased public school funding approved earlier this year. All but two Republicans voted against it.

“You can’t talk about property tax relief unless you talk about school funding,” said House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Lansdale, during Monday’s floor debate, which turned antagonistic at times. “And I don’t question anyone’s motives, but I would point out, as I should, that this majority passed historic school funding and as part of that, inextricably linked, was property tax relief.”

Pennsylvania’s public school system receives majority funding from local taxes, bolstered by state and federal support. Struggling districts often raise rates to cover cost increases.

Of note, though both parties have criticized the education system, spending has continued to grow.

The property tax constitutional amendment now heads to the Senate for consideration, where only five more voting days are scheduled.