One local lawmaker said “everything will be on the table”
Wednesday when lawmakers convene a special legislative session
aimed at easing the property tax burden on taxpayers.

On Thursday, state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, said he
believes progress can be made on the issue – of prime importance to
local property owners – if political partisanship doesn’t take over
the proceedings.

“If we (lawmakers) turn our focus to the issue at hand, and
really look at the property tax problem, than I believe something
can be accomplished,” Causer said. “But, if this is just a
political ploy by the governor, then obviously nothing will get
done.”

Gov. Ed Rendell is up for re-election next year. While in
office, the Democrat has focused a large portion of his agenda on
easing the tax burden on the state’s property owners. The keystone
to his initiative: the controversial Act 72 plan, which uses slot
machine revenue for $1 billion a year in property tax relief in
school taxes for the state’s residents.

There have already been two special sessions of the Legislature
to deal with the issue – in 1988 and 2002 – but neither one
produced new laws.

The latest version, according to Causer, is not short on
proposals – anything ranging from making Act 72 mandatory to hikes
in the sales tax will be open for debate.

“We have to come up with the revenue somewhere,” Causer said.
“There are a lot of different proposals out there to either solve
or help the property tax situation. I think everybody realizes
something has to be done and we have to look at all the different
possibilities.”

The most heated discussions could come over Act 72, which was
shunned by school districts across the state. Only 111 of the 501
school districts – or 22 percent – voted to “opt into” the program,
which would hand over some control to local taxpayers.

As part of the legislation, school districts would be required
to seek voter approval for any future tax increases that exceed the
rate of inflation. Any district accepting the slots revenue must
have its school board vote to increase the local earned income tax
by 0.1 percent.

Locally, the Bradford Area School Board joined the majority of
districts against it. Now, Rendell wants to make it mandatory.

“He (Rendell) wants to eliminate the requirement of raising the
earned income tax,” Causer said. “Also, any exception the school
districts would have before raising taxes would be up to
negotiation.”

Causer said he favors handing over the option of whether school
districts join Act 72 to the voters.

“I don’t feel that mandating school districts to get into Act 72
is a good approach,” Causer said. “I firmly believe the voters in
this area would choose to take part in the program. Then we could
go from there.

“I’ve never said Act 72 is the ‘save-all’ plan,” Causer added.
“But, if we can use gambling revenue to offset property taxes, that
would benefit all of us.”

Other proposals, according to Causer, involve broadening the
base on sales taxes, including taxes on food and clothing.

“I haven’t signed onto that yet,” Causer said, adding there’s a
contingent of legislators who are pushing the proposal.

A special session requires lawmakers to focus on one subject,
but how Act 72 could be altered is still in doubt.