Nov 27, 2002 3 min read

Fayette County’s chief assessor recently released numbers that should put most property owners at ease. What has become clear as the reassessment project nears completion is that the commissioners intend to honor promises made. The commissioners are not viewing the rise in assessed values of $831 million to more than $4 billion as a windfall. And they are doing all that they can to ensure the new values are fair. The last time Fayette County underwent a reassessment was some 44 years ago so naturally property owners were nervous when new values went out. Some speculated that the much higher values would automatically translate into much higher taxes. Despite promises that the county would adopt a “revenue neutral” stance, the fear lingered. Commissioners said that the county wouldn’t collect any more in taxes in 2003 than it had in 2002. What this means, according to chief assessor Jim Hercik, is that the new millage rate will be dramatically lower at 2.45 mills – which is even lower than initial estimates.

But county taxes are just one of the three levied on properties. While the commissioners are holding true to their word, municipalities and school districts need to follow suit. To aid taxpayers in determining if their city, borough or township intends to keep revenues neutral or will enact an increase, the county released a detailed guide. Property owners now know what the millage rate should be if their municipalities intend to keep revenue at an even keel, and they will be able to know up front if an increase is coming.

By far the largest tax bill comes due to the schools, and taxpayers will need to wait until spring to find out how the new assessments will affect those bills. Unlike the county and municipalities that work on a calendar year, school districts form and adopt budgets in May and June.

Another piece of information to keep in mind when viewing the county’s announcement of a “revenue neutral” stance is what this term implies to the overall tax rate. It does not mean that each individual taxpayer will pay exactly the same, although it is estimated about a third will. Another third will be paying less and the remaining third, more. That is because the old system had values that were out of whack, with those in older properties paying less than they should and those in newer homes paying a proportionately higher tax bill.

That is the main reason that this reassessment was needed to create fair values. And it appears that for the most part it has.

While more than 10,000 property owners initially filed appeals, just 80 remain unsatisfied enough to continue on by appealing the decisions through Fayette County Court.

The numbers speak volumes, the county commissioners have kept the reassessment on course.