Property Assessment Study for Blair County
View original document →
Overview of the Study
This document is a Property Assessment Study for Blair County, prepared by the law firm Weiss Burkardt Kramer, LLC. The study focuses on ensuring fairness among taxpayers by reviewing the current assessment structure to determine if tax burdens are distributed equitably.
Key Concepts and Legal Context
- Goal of Assessments: The primary goal is to ensure fair and equitable property assessments so that the tax burden is spread equally among all owners.
- Legal Basis: The study cites a 1909 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling stating that each person must bear their share of public burdens based on the ratio of total taxes to the whole valuation of property.
- Current Issues: If assessment systems are not adjusted periodically, they become regressive. Properties that appreciate rapidly may be taxed at less than their fair share, while those with depreciating values pay more.
Financial Analysis and Reassessment Projections
The document outlines the estimated effects of a countywide reassessment on budgets and millage rates.
- Current Status:
- Current Countywide Level of Assessment (CLR): 16%
- Current Taxable Total Assessed Value: $725,343,363
- Projected New Status:
- Assumed New CLR: 93%
- Estimated Total Value of Blair County: $4,533,396,019
- Estimated New Total Assessed Value: $4,216,058,297
- Impact on Millage Rates:
- With the increased total assessed value, millage rates would need to be adjusted downward to comply with anti-windfall statutes.
- Revenue Cap: Municipalities and counties are limited to a 10% increase in property tax revenue over the preceding year.
- Example Calculation: Assuming Blair County collected $20,000,000 the prior year, the maximum revenue for the reassessment year would be $22,000,000.
- Resulting Millage: The County’s millage rate could be reduced to approximately 5. 2 mills.
Contact Information
- Firm: Weiss Burkardt Kramer, LLC
- Address: 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Suite 503, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
- Website: www. wbklegal. com
- Phone: 412. 391. 9890
- Fax: 412. 391. 9685