Schuylkill County Commissioners last week voted to essentially end the years-long property tax reassessment. But in doing so, they also said that property owners can’t continue to bear the burden of funding County government.
The Commissioners voted 2-1 to allow the County’s Chief Tax Assessor Chrissy Zimmerman to certify the reassessed property values for 2026. Those values will be used by the Commissioners and municipalities to determine the new millage rates at which properties will be taxed next year.
Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora voted against giving Zimmerman permission to use the new, reassessed rates but said his vote was not meant to reflect negatively on the how Schuylkill County carried out this process or the people who did it.
Instead, he said his vote was more of a protest against the reassessment process dictated by state government and called for reform.
“I cannot, in good conscience, vote to approve the reassessment valuations when I have consistently maintained a position in opposition to the countywide reassessment because the real estate tax assessment process in Pennsylvania is flawed and needs to be addressed at the state level,” he said.
Commissioner Gary Hess echoed that sentiment in a statement he issued after voting to approve the resolution to have the Tax Assessment office certify the new property values.
Both Commissioners also said that property owners can no longer bear the burden of funding County government by themselves.
“Nobody likes to pay taxes. Tax reform in this state really needs to happen to take the burden off most property owners. It’s the property owners that feel the pain,” Hess said. “Harrisburg needs to listen.”
Padora said, and has said, that the County needs to be allowed to pursue other sources of funding than relying solely upon property taxes.
“It is my hope that state legislators will finally address the reassessment issue and perhaps even the larger issue that I think is the root to all of this, the unfairness of the real estate taxation as the only means of funding for county government,” Padora said. “There has to be another source of funding for county government.”
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