LMSD Taking Lawsuit Fight To PA Supreme Court

ARDMORE, PA – The fight over Lower Merion School District's tax increases doesn't seem to have an end in sight, as the district recently announced it is taking the fight to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The district is taking its fight to the state supreme court after its request for a review and reargument of an appeal the district filed in April and lost was denied by a Commonwealth Judge.

"While the District is disappointed that the Commonwealth Court determined not to review the order issued by one its panels, the District – as it has previously said it would – intends to request the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to hear the District’s appeal from the panel’s order," the district said in a statement. "Additionally, the order does not directly affect the recent budget resolutions adopted by the Board."

The appeal that was tossed in April was filed in response to a lawsuit that accused the district of imposing unnecessary taxes on residents was dismissed recently in a commonwealth court, according to the district. This means a previous ruling that the district must repay a portion of the 4.4 percent tax increase to residents stands.

The suit was filed by attorney Arthur Wolk on behalf of Lower Merion taxpayers.

Wolk called the most recent court action of denying the review and re argument a "huge win for the people."

"This is another huge win for the people because it shows that the law will prevail over the misrepresentations and lies of an out of control school district, its 630 lawyers and 600 more on the appeal and the unlawful practices embraced by the Superintendent and Business Manager," Wolk told Main Line Media News

Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph A. Smyth placed an injunction on the district last year saying it could not enact the increase and was only allowed to raise taxes by 2.4 percent per the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2006.

Image via Lower Merion School District