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May 2, 2008 4:28 pm US/Eastern
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Property Tax Relief Headed To Homeowners
(KDKA)
The first installment of the property tax relief that was promised when the state approved gaming in Pennsylvania is expected to provide homeowners with a break starting this summer, but not everyone will get the same break.
KDKA's Political Editor Jon Delano reports that with seven of Pennsylvania's 14 gaming licenses now yielding about $613 million for property tax relief, most homeowners should see some reduction in their school taxes beginning on July 1.
But how much of a break depends on where you live and whether your school board is trying to take back some of that money by raising your millage rates.
On average, officials say Pennsylvania homeowners should see about $190 off of their tax bill.
However, homeowners in the Washington, Aliquippa, Big Beaver Falls, Apollo-Ridge, Duquesne, McKeesport Area, Armstrong, Sto-Rox, New Kensington-Arnold, and Wilkinsburg school districts will see more than $300 cut from their bills.
Meanwhile, homeowners in the Canon-McMillan, Brownsville Area, Avonworth, Norwin, Greater Latrobe, Hempfield Area, Mars Area, and Ligonier Valley school districts will see less than a hundred bucks.
State officials say the wide variation depends on a complicated formula that gives a larger tax break to areas with already high school taxes in communities where personal income is relatively low.
But no matter what the tax break, school boards could take back some of this tax relief by raising its millage rates.
The state tries to limit that somewhat, for example, school boards can only raise millage by 4.4 percent unless they get court approval or submit their tax increase to the voters in a referendum.
Also, the dollar amount is the same for every homeowner in the school district regardless of income or property assessment, and it will appear on your school tax bill, but only those who have a Homestead exemption will get this tax break. There's no income eligibility, you just have to own your home and have a Homestead Exemption from your county.
It is too late for this year if you didn't get the Homestead Exemption because the deadline was March 1, but you can apply now for next year.
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