Scott Might Have to Lower Tax Millage Rate Again

Scott Township set its new tax millage rate last month, but could decrease it more in a few months when more accurate assessment numbers come in.

Scott Township set its new tax millage rate last month, but could decrease it more in a few months when more accurate assessment numbers come in. The township lowered its millage rate from 5 mills to 4.457, but that number is off a conservative estimate of what the property assessment is before all the appeals are heard. Township Manager Denise Fitzgerald said they will probably examine the millage rate again in March or April when there are more accurate numbers available. Allegheny County Judge Stanton Wettick Jr. allowed local municipalities an extension on ratifying their millage rate to June 15 or 10 days before their tax bills go out. That means Scott Township has five months to make a final decision. Fitzgerald said the township …

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Formal Assessment Appeal Was Easy

The process for my formal Allegheny County property reassessment appeal was painless and hopefully will net results. What's your experience been like?

I was expecting a dogfight heading into my formal appeal for the Allegheny County property reassessment Monday morning. Instead, the process with my assessment hearing officer was painless and went through with barely a whimper from either one of us. I arrived about 30 minutes early for my hearing at Kane Hospital near the Jewish Community Center in Scott. Rather than waiting around for a while, the assessment officer signed me in and took me to a room with several cubicles doubling as hearing rooms. Without a lawyer–or even a certified appraisal–I presented my evidence and photos of comparables that were for some reason valued 5 to 13-percent less than my home. I also showed evidence that other homes were selling in 2011 for what I …

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Mike Jones

6:42 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012

@DE33... I wouldn't blow it off if you think you have a credible case. It didn't take very long and could save you quite a bit of money for years.   more ›

Dates Changed for Assessment Postponements

Property owners are permitted to postpone their hearings only once and will have the new appeals heard on Saturdays in late July or early August.

The Allegheny County Board of Property Assessments Appeals and Review is updating the rules with its assessment appeals regarding hearing postponements. The board voted that any hearing that has been postponed by either party will be rescheduled for Saturday dates starting in late July or early August. All of those hearings will be held on the third floor of the County Office Building located at 542 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh. The assessments appeals board also reemphasized its rule permitting only one postponement per property. To postpone an appeal, the property owner must submit the request in writing at least seven days before the scheduled hearing date. If property owners are making emergency requests, they must be made in writing …

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CV Passes Budget Without Tax Increase

Chartiers Valley passed its 2012-13 school year budget without raising taxes.

Chartiers Valley passed its 2012-13 school year budget without raising taxes. The $52.22 million budget is a 4.77 percent increase over last year’s spending plan, but keeps taxes the same because of increases to real estate revenue and streamlining of expenses. The school board unanimously passed the budget during its Tuesday night voting meeting. “It’s going to be a tight budget,” Chartiers Valley’s Business Manager Nick Morelli said. “As everyone knows, schools (around the area) are having tough times.” The preliminary budget that Morelli put forward in April called for the school district to pull $1.2 million from the rainy day fund. However, Morellis said he was able to close the gap and did not expect to touch the fund balance that is…

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No Tax Increase Expected For CV

The school district will be able to pull some money out of a rainy day fund to keep taxes level.

The Chartiers Valley School District doesn’t expect to raise taxes this year as officials put together the 2012-13 budget. The school board unanimously passed the $52.823 million budget proposal and probably will vote on a final budget in June. Nicholas Morelli, the district’s business manager, said they will be able to pull some money out of the rainy day fund to keep taxes level at 19.88 mills. He said they’re still “massaging” the line items and could make some changes over the next month. “We are fortunate we have a nice tax base with a blend of residential and business,” Morelli said. “We’ve been able to keep millage (rates) lower for a number of years.” The operating budget is about 5.6 percent higher than last year, which Morelli …

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New Property Assessments Released

Home owners in the South Hills can find out what their property is valued at by going to the county's assessment website.

Property owners in the South Hills got a jolt this week when Allegheny County released the new property assessment figures online. The new property assessments for home owners living in Bridgeville, Collier, Heidelberg and Scott can be found at www2.alleghenycounty.us/reval by punching in your street address and municipality. The 2002 property numbers are located on the left and the new assessments are on the right. It's not immediately known how the new assessments will impact one's taxes because the overall assessment increases in the municipalities and Chartiers Valley School District have not been released. That percentage increase will show the baseline numbers that the taxing bodies need to adjust their millage rates to remain net …

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Fitzgerald Says Reassessment is 'Null and Void'

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he won't use the new property assessments.

Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald said it over and over again during a press conference Thursday afternoon: When it comes to property tax reassessment, Allegheny County shouldn’t be singled out. That’s one reason Fitzgerald said he directed the certification of the assessed property values for 2012 taxation purposes using the 2002 tax year figures. For Pittsburgh area property owners, that means the assessment numbers they received in the mail last week are “null and void.” Only Pittsburgh and Mt. Oliver property owners have received the new assessments. New notices would be sent out Thursday, Fitzgerald said, and those are “the ones that matter.” And he was clear: Despite a court order mandated property tax reassessment, he is following all…

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Mike Jones

10:34 am on Sunday, January 15, 2012

Bill... Are you questioning the legality or ethics of the decisions? Or are you just disagreeing with it? And I've already pointed out that Judge Wettick will be receiving a tax cut because his property increased by 29 percent. Regardless, I'll make sure to do some digging around once people in Scott, Heidelberg, Bridgeville and Collier have problems.   more ›

Scott Township Avoids Tax Increase

The township slashed several road paving projects to balance the 2012 budget.

Scott Township slashed more than one-third of next year’s road paving projects to balance the 2012 budget without a tax increase. The commissioners were close to installing a .435-mill increase, but four of them agreed to forgo road construction in their wards for the next year to save $222,000 in the budget. The $9.71 million will keep municipal taxes at 5 mills next year. The budget debate centered over whether to raise taxes with so many questions remaining about the impact of Allegheny County’s court-mandated reassessment. “We all know we have a problem with these assessments,” Commissioner Tom Castello said. “It’s a total mess. We’ve got a mess going with this tax issue.” But outgoing Commissioner Dennis “DJ” Brooks questioned how …

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