Property Tax Elimination Vote Delayed

Lawmakers in Harrisburg have postponed a vote on eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania.

A Senate vote on a bill eliminating property taxes was delayed this week due to “minor technical concerns” but lawmakers say they fully expect to consider the legislation before Thanksgiving.

The legislation, called the Taxpayer Relief Act, would completely eliminate $14 billion in school property taxes. The revenue would be replaced with higher state sales and income taxes.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati told the Associated Press earlier this week he anticipated a vote on the Taxpayer Relief Act was imminent.

But bill sponsors say “some minor technical concerns regarding the bills implementation” prevented it from a full Senate vote this week.

“We agreed to make tweaks to the proposal and have it considered next week by the full Senate,” bill sponsors said in a joint statement.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office has not commented on the bill. A spokesperson told the Philadelphia Inquirer the Taxpayer Relief Act is not part of a budget deal announced last week between the two parties.

A spokesperson for the House Democrats told the Inquirer he did not believe it would pass the House, where a similar bill was defeated in 2013.

“When we began this bipartisan fight this session to remove the school property tax burden off of property owners, we never said it would be easy. Due to the groundswell of public support and the tireless efforts of thousands of taxpayers advocating for the legislation, we are closer than we have ever been to eliminating school property taxes,” bill sponsors said in a joint statement.

Sponsors of the Taxpayer Relief Act include Senators David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon/Dauphin/York), Mario Scavello (R-Monroe/Northampton), Scott Wagner (R-York), Judy Schwank (D-Berks), John Yudichak (D-Luzerne/Carbon), Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton), Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and John Eichelberger (R-Blair)