School Tax Hikes in Allegheny County

Interesting article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about property tax hikes. Twenty of 43 school districts in Allegheny are planning to raise tax rates. Their justification is that the county has suspended reassement of property from 2002 levels, except for homes sold in that time (similar to Lynn Swann's proposal for tax reform).

The county froze assessed values at 2002 levels, because they found that the average change in assessed value was 19%. In other words, school districts would otherwise get a 19% increase in tax revenue just from reassement, plus the amount they raise tax rates. Just another illustration of how "historic property tax relief" really isn't.