The measure itself conflicts with a week-old agreement between House and Senate Republican leaders and Gov. Tom Wolf on legislation to reduce property taxes by an additional $1.4 billion.
Advertisement
Elimination of the school property tax is a really great idea that has been discussed with increased fervor over the past decade.
A Senate vote on a bill eliminating property taxes was delayed this week due to “minor technical concerns” but lawmakers say they fully expect to consider the legislation before Thanksgiving. Instead, the Senate would bypass that step for a floor vote to amend the legislation to an unrelated bill. The revenue would be replaced with higher state sales and income taxes. Those include basic TV service, tickets to recreational, cultural and sporting events, and a few work performed by lawyers, accountants, architects, financial institutions, funeral parlors and salons. Districts wanting to spend above that allotment would have to win voter approval to increase local income taxes.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for the House Democrats told the Inquirer he did not believe it would pass the House, where a similar bill was defeated in 2013. That means I can pay more tax in more different categories so the owner of a million-dollar home gets huge property tax relief, while those whose property taxes are relatively low don’t benefit almost as much.
