Realtors® Support Senate Bill 76 For Property Tax Reform

News provided by

Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS

Nov 25, 2013, 01:07 ET

LEMOYNE, Pa., Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Realtors® are rallying support for Senate Bill 76 (Argall, R-29) which eliminates school property taxes.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® (PAR) sent more than 100,000 mailers to voters throughout the Commonwealth, urging recipients to contact their state senators and to ask them to support Senate Bill 76.

PAR recently launched a new website, RealReform76.com, highlighting the benefits of Senate Bill 76. More than 1,800 people have already sent letters to their senators via the website and more than 200 people have shared their heart-wrenching stories about how excessively high property taxes have affected them.

"The stories we're hearing about Pennsylvanians who can no longer afford to pay the school property taxes are overwhelming," said 2014 PAR President Kim Skumanick. In parts of the state, the monthly escrowed property taxes exceed the mortgage payment. This makes owning a home too cost prohibitive for many families and people on fixed incomes.

"These incredibly high property taxes are a barrier to homeownership and we believe Senate Bill 76 helps alleviate this unfair burden," Skumanick added.

Senate Bill 76 proposes to eliminate school property taxes and replace the funding by raising the personal income tax from 3.07 to 4.34 percent and increasing the sales tax from 6 to 7 percent and broadening the sales tax to include previously exempted items.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® anticipates the Senate will vote on Senate Bill 76 in December.

"We urge everyone to visit RealReform76.com, send an email to your senator and join this fight for real property tax reform," Skumanick said.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® is a trade/professional association that serves more than 28,000 members in the Commonwealth.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS