Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) expects 70,000 informal assessment appeals

[Divernan]

Wednesday, September 07, 2011
By Len Barcousky, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The county was to have preliminary assessment numbers ready by July, but that date has been pushed back until the end of January. Certified numbers would not be released until April.

The delay is causing budget headaches for municipal governments, school districts and the county itself as officials prepare their next spending plans. Lacking access to new assessment numbers, they will have to estimate what millage rates will be needed in 2012 to balance their budgets.

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, the city school district and all other municipalities must approve their budgets by Dec. 31, which is three months before the date when final assessment numbers will be available. While the county's other school districts don't have to pass their spending plans for the 2012-13 fiscal year until June 30, state law requires that they take their first planning steps in January.

Judge Wettick scheduled his next update on reassessment for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 15. He may rule then on an alternate plan to have new assessment numbers released for Pittsburgh and the small borough of Mount Oliver first. While that plan would aid Pittsburgh city and school officials prepare their spending plans, it would mean further delay in releasing certified numbers for the rest of the county until the middle of May.
Len Barcousky: [e-mail] or 412-263-1159.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11250/1172794-100.stm#ixzz1XJcI6O8L

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The original goal of this reassessment was NOT to increase the total amount of property taxes collected, but to redistribute the amount to accurately reflect current values. Along with many other fixed income, lost-retirement-savings-in-2008, senior citizens in the County, I shudder at the possibility of my property taxes increasing. I live in a modest, never remodeled, never expanded, 60 year old ranch house, and am hoping that I end up in the unchanged middle range, while those in the many, many McMansions and luxury condos see an increase in prop. tax to allow a reduction in tax for those in the 1/3 or so lower valued homes. Poor Judge Wettick has grown old handling this lengthy case.