Thanks to the Bradford Era for the generous coverage of our growing movement for tax equity in rural Pennsylvania counties.
As you pointed out in your story, our taxes bases are being gutted by state laws that greatly burden the people who pay for the operation of our school districts and local governments.
It’s shocking to see, via county maps produced by GIS technology, what a tiny percentage of the total property in our rural counties is being taxed at its full value.
Some 84 percent of Potter County, and 87 percent of Cameron County, is either tax-exempt (state forest, game and park land), or taxed at a fraction of its value due to the state’s Clean and Green law.
As you reported, Rep. Martin Causer’s bill would provide some relief — increasing the amount of annual payments made by the state “in lieu of taxes” by 40 cents per acre to each taxing body.
However, there is another measure that we believe should be implemented. We’re calling for a portion of the revenue that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania derives from timber sales and natural gas production royalties to be shared with school districts, counties and townships/boroughs.
These two changes in state law would represent just a drop in the bucket of the state treasury, but they could be an economic salvation to the private property owners of rural counties who are being pummeled by school district, county and municipal taxes.
It all comes down to fairness. In that regard, I have not found one county commissioner from across Pennsylvania who opposes this, even though there are many counties that would derive no benefits from these measures.
Once they are apprised of our plight, these commissioners recognize an obligation to address it. Let’s just hope that the members of the General Assembly demonstrate a similar commitment to fairness.
House Bill 444 of 2013, which would carve out 20 percent of timber sale and gas royalties from state forest land to school districts, municipalities and counties, died in committee.
Our rural county coalition is calling on the legislature to revisit that bill and pass it into law. It’s long overdue.
Paul W. Heimel
Commissioner
Potter County
