Legislation to fight inaccurate property assessments that lead to higher property taxes by rejecting inaccurate property assessments and taxes.
https://philly.curbed.com/2019/2/8/18217169/proposed-bill-reject-assessment-opa-property-oh
Chapter 19-1300, “Real Estate Taxes,” be levied on the assessed value of taxable real property as established for the immediately preceding stated year in any year in which the audit provided for under Subsection 2-305(2)(s) finds that overall property assessments in the City do not meet industry standards for accuracy, all under certain terms and conditions.
Sponsors: Councilmember Oh
SECTION 1. Legislative Findings:
(1) The City of Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment reassessed all residential
properties for tax year 2019, resulting in increases for about 370,000 properties and raising the
median value of a single-family home by 10.5 percent.
(2) The Philadelphia Code Subsection 2-305(2)(s) mandates an audit by an independent
firm in which the firm will complete a statistical analysis of the performance of the appraisers
and the accuracy of the property assessment to ensure a uniform and accurate system of property
taxation.
(3) The Philadelphia Code Subsection 2-305(2)(s) audit issued December 3, 2018, found
(among other findings) that, “Overall, property assessments in the City do not meet industry
standards for accuracy.”
(4) The Office of Property Assessment bases assessments on insufficient and sometimes
erroneous data, lacks routine reports to analyze the quality of assessments, and does not
adequately explain its methods to the Public.
(5) The Administration will not undertake another major reassessment of all properties
in Philadelphia until it implements needed changes in its Office of Property Assessment.
However, delaying another mass appraisal does not mean values will remain frozen: the Office
of Property Assessment will issue new values for properties based on market trends.
(6) As a result of the enactment of Bill No. 171009, which became effective as of
January 24, 2019, no additions, interest, or penalties accrue while an appeal of a property’s
assessed value is pending—under certain terms and conditions.
(7) However, it’s still important to provide a legislative mechanism to ensure that there
is a uniform and accurate system of property taxation in which the Public can have confidence
upon the completion of a Philadelphia Code Subsection 2-305(2)(s) audit that finds that overall
property assessments in the City do not meet industry standards for accuracy.