Property Tax

==Background==
* Allegheny County's property tax system is broken.
* Propety tax reform has been talked about for years, yet little is done.
* PA's taxing system is broken -- and getting a great deal of attention for the past number of years.
====
* Global thoughts from Mark Rauterkus
* Property Tax-LTE-Ray Letter to Editor by Ray in September 2007
==Links==
* Assessments
* Property Tax Reform
* Judge Stanton Wettick of Allegheny County
==Insights==
===September 2006===
Judge Stanton Wettick ruled that the county must use the current market value of a property in its tax assessment, instead of the 2002 base-year assessment that County Executive Dan Onorato legislated as the benchmark last year. While Mr. Onorato complains that other counties use base-year assessments, some question the constitutionality of such a law. Critics say that the properties should be taxed at their current market value, and the attempt to use a base-year assessment seems like political maneuvering.
== ==
* Source: Christian Science Monitor article on property tax revolts, by Ron Scherer, December 03, 2004.
== Property taxes rising nationwide. == 
* Rising property taxes upsets many Americans.
* States share less tax revenue with local governments.
* As real estate price rises comes rising taxes.
* Taxes squeeze middle class and senior citizens.
* Money goes to taxes and not at local restaurants and roof repairs.
* Taxes hurt young home-buyers, civil servants
* Rapid growth of exurban communities with younger couples and kids. Can't afford suburban homes, so move to "edge" communities farther from the city. With children and the educational expenses up property taxes to build schools and hire teachers.
New Jersey's a grass-roots Citizens for Property Tax Reform, has 500,000 in 15 months of existence. The group's mission is to force a property tax reform "convention."
==Details==
===City Property Taxes Not Growing===
* City Property Tax Revenues Not Growing-policy-AI Policy Brief from Alleghey Institute from October, 2006
* Property Tax Relief Fund
===Tutorials===
*criteria for a good tax system
*Land value tax, a case study