How much?
The time has come to regress a few years to the year 2006.
In that year the gaming industry came to Pennsylvania. A percentage of the proceeds would be used to reduce school property taxes on qualifying homestead and farmstead exemptions.
The operating word is reduce not eliminate. A school district would be allotted an amount of funding from gaming which in turn would be divided by a certain number of properties that were deemed eligible by the staff.
Prior to passage of Act 1, then Gov. Rendell was brainstorming the state, selling the potential of property owners having a voice in future tax increases through the use of a referendum on election day that would require the school district to ask the electorate if they favored a tax increase. Fast Eddie failed to mention that school boards could still raise property taxes up to a predetermined amount referred to as the index.
If the school districts in which you reside raised taxes since 2006 was there a referendum on the ballot? If so how did you vote? Cows will fly before the voice of the property owner will be heard.
In passage of Act 1 of 2006 special interests were first and foremost not the property owner. This legislation would provide a never ending source of income that would be used to fund employee contracts and keep buildings open that should be closed due to a marked decrease in enrollment. School boards still have the ability to raise taxes which in turn will cause irreparable harm to the value of property.
How many tax increases will come and go before property owners decide that enough is enough. If we the people continue to elect and re-elect members of the House, Senate and governors who receive campaign contributions from the unions that represent school district employees our hopes and dreams of owning property will turn into a nightmare due to legislation such as Act 1 of 2006.
As a property owner is it your responsibility to fund public education? The oligarchy that currently has the votes will continue to fund public education in such a manner that the needs and wants of a small group of self-centered public servants will be fulfilled without regards to our right to own property.
The question has been asked again and again, how much more can the property owner endure? Our response should be that we will stand shoulder to shoulder and die standing on our feet rather than live on our knees.
Ed Zadylak
Connellsville