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Use and Occupancy tax increase approved by council committee
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 17, 2013
A Philadelphia city council committee has approved an increase to the city Use and Occupancy tax. The approval came after an extended hearing with both school suporters of the move and members of the business community who were against the increase. The increase would help schools and avoid other proposed tax hikes. More »
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State, teachers' union reluctant on more money for Philly schools
By Benjamin Herold, @BenjaminBHerold and Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbeinMay 16, 2013
Yesterday, Philadelphia Mayor Nutter announced his plan to raise $95 million for the city's struggling School District, mostly through tax hikes on cigarettes and alcohol. But even if that money comes through, city schools will still be looking for an additional $120 million from Harrisburg and $133 million in givebacks from the local teacher union. More »
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Quinones Sanchez backs Use and Occupancy tax increase
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 16, 2013
A hearing Friday in Philadelphia City Council will address a plan to raise one of the taxes businesses pay in the city. More »
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Not all glowing reviews for new taxes to cover Philly public schools cash request
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 15, 2013
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter wants to increase the "liquor by the drink" tax and impose a new city cigarette tax. The moves are the core of his plan to come up with more than $90 million in new money for the Philadelphia School District. It's far from a done deal. More »
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TAXIPEDIA
Pew: New assessments redistribute Philly property-tax burden
By Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbeinMay 13, 2013
A Pew Charitable Trusts report found that Philadelphia's new property assessments are completely redistributing the property-tax burden. More »
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Economist: Sound Philadelphia tax policy depends on AVI
By Shai Ben-Yaacov, @shaibenyaacovMay 8, 2013
Following a commentary on Tuesday's NewsWorks Tonight from a Germantown homeowner about a big property tax hike thanks to AVI, host Dave Heller spoke with urban economist Kevin Gillen, who says, while he favors a debate about tax rates, there's no good argument for not having accurate property assessments. More »
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Philadelphia Controller concerned about new property assessments after independent report
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 8, 2013
Lots of Philadelphia homeowners question how the city's new real estate assessments were done. Now a highly regarded economist is joining the chorus. More »
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Philly councilman going door to door to alert homeowners of tax break [video]
By Tom MacDonald, @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 6, 2013
![Philly councilman going door to door to alert homeowners of tax break [video]](http://www.newsworks.org/components/com_flexicontent/librairies/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?src=/images/stories/flexicontent/l_henon-bobby-145px-1.jpg&w=145&h=100&aoe=1&q=95)
A Philadelphia city councilman is planning to use his winning campaign tactics to get property owners signed up for the homestead exemption. More »
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Center City District CEO: Philly's tax policy must change
By Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbeinMay 3, 2013
For every 100 residents, Philadelphia offers only 42 jobs. Center City District CEO Paul Levy said he knows how to change that.He laid out his ambitious plan at a tax-themed panel discussion co-hosted by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Temple University. More »
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Philly City Council panel backs bill setting aside $66 million for firefighters
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 2, 2013
A Philadelphia City Council committee has voted to set aside money to pay for a firefighters contract that Mayor Michael Nutter is still challenging in court. More »
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Philly City Council approves subpoena for a peek behind property tax assessments
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 2, 2013
Philadelphia City Council is subpoenaing the specific information used in creating this year's new property tax assessments. More »
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Will Mayor Nutter approve ads on Philadelphia buildings?
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 2, 2013
You might soon see ads on Philadelphia city buildings and trash trucks. City council has approved the idea in the name of bringing in new revenue. More »
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Pair of bills aim to help Philly homestead exemption procrastinators
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 1, 2013
It may become easier to get a homestead exemption in Philadelphia, if a pair of bills approved by a City Council Committee succeed. More »
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As Philadelphia budget hearings wind down, council members defend their causes
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyMay 1, 2013
Philadelphia City Council is nearing the end of its budget hearings. Now is when the real brinksmanship begins. More »
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Philly offers detailed -- and complicated -- explanation on AVI assessments
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyApril 23, 2013
The Office of Property Assessment is expanding its explanation of how it arrived at the new assessments in Philadelphia. But it might take a mathematician to understand it. More »
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Philly BRT head says appeals could take 18 months
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyApril 23, 2013
With Philadelphians complaining that their new property tax assessments are inaccurate, the agency that will hear appeals is gearing up to be much busier than normal. At the same time, the Revenue Department's new head is promising to crack down on tax delinquents. More »
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Philly property tax relief bills moving in Harrisburg
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyApril 23, 2013
Three pieces of legislation needed to provide property tax relief in Philadelphia have cleared a first hurdle in Harrisburg. More »
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Little consensus in Philly Council so far on AVI relief
By Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbeinApril 22, 2013
Philadelphia City Council has no shortage of ideas about how to improve Mayor Michael Nutter's Actual Value Initiative (AVI), a move to new property-tax assessments based on market values. Lawmakers have penned dozens of bills and resolutions dealing with the reassessment. One proposal would give a property-tax break to some longtime homeowners. Another would slowly phase in the new property... More »
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Philly councilman wants payment delay when property assessment questioned [video]
By Tom MacDonald, @tmacdonaldwhyyApril 22, 2013
![Philly councilman wants payment delay when property assessment questioned [video]](http://www.newsworks.org/components/com_flexicontent/librairies/phpthumb/phpThumb.php?src=/images/stories/flexicontent/l_squilla_t-macdonaldx145.jpg&w=145&h=100&aoe=1&q=95)
Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla, D-1st, wants to give property owners who appeal their new tax assessments a grace period until their appeal is decided. Squilla says people shouldn't have to pay their new, higher taxes if the amount is under dispute. More »
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Philly official dubs investors conference a 'success'
By Holly Otterbein, @hollyotterbeinApril 19, 2013
Philadelphia officials held a conference this week to entice Wall Street investors, but the press was shut out. So what took place behind the curtain? More »
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Philly City Council might subpoena for property assessment methodology
By Tom MacDonald @tmacdonaldwhyyApril 19, 2013
Philadelphia City Council might use its subpoena power to answer a burning question about property taxes. Council members like Kenyatta Johnson, D-2nd, want to know the methodology the Nutter administration used to calculate new property tax assessments. He and others believe they're grossly inaccurate for some homes. More »
We answer your questions:
Are my Philly property taxes going up?
How do I appeal my Philly property assessment?
Could property tax relief help me owe less to Philly government?
How does Philadelphia do assessments?
Is AVI a done deal in Philadelphia?
How will this affect neighborhoods?
Can't the city collect delinquent taxes better?
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