Eighty-four percent of residents say property tax reform should be Legislature’s top priority

Citing the results of a recent survey of his constituents, Rep. Jay Moyer (R-Montgomery) called on House leaders to resume debate on property tax reform.

In a recent survey, Moyer asked residents of his district their opinions on the issue of property taxes and property tax reform efforts. Eighty-five percent of Moyer’s constituents said property taxes are overly burdensome as a source of funding for public education and 84 percent said property tax relief should be the top priority for the General Assembly in this legislative session.

“These results reinforce what I have been saying for years,” said Moyer. “People are tired of ever-increasing school property taxes and they want us to do something about it.”

Moyer noted that several property tax reform bills have been introduced including his measure to freeze property tax rates for senior citizens at 2007-08 base year rates. In late January, the House began debating them, but House leaders chose to remove all property tax bills from the House calendar after a measure to eliminate school property taxes for senior citizens with incomes of $40,000 or less overwhelmingly passed.

“The measure that passed had the support of 159 House members from both sides of the aisle,” Moyer said. “While it does not meet the goal of providing property tax relief for everyone, it is a very good first step. Unfortunately, because it was written by someone from the opposite party, House leaders have decided to kill it.

“It is unconscionable that the majority party would allow a piece of legislation that could help thousands of senior citizens across the Commonwealth to die just to gain a partisan advantage,” Moyer added. “It does not matter who gets to claim credit during the next campaign as long as we begin to provide the property tax relief Pennsylvanians are demanding.”

Rep. Jay R. Moyer
70th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives

(610) 584-0070
(610) 278-0070

(717) 787-6423

Contact: Sean Yeakle

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(717) 787-3406

Member Site: www.JayMoyer.com

Caucus Site: www.PAHouseGOP.com