School Taxation Is The Problem----Everywhere
In many blogs, including Brentwood, the discussion of property taxation often arises. Here are some thoughts.
First: The underlying problem with property taxation is the way Pennsylvania structures the School Taxes. Despite legally being a State Agency, school districts derive their taxes largely from local districts in a hodge-podge and discriminatory way. This is unlike most other State taxes which are derived from an at-large tax pool (income, license fees, etc). Furthermore, in terms of running the school system as a State agency, these tax funds should be derived by an at-large tax that is put into the general fund, not through discriminatory taxation at a local level.
Second: Unlike Boroughs, Townships, and Cities, School Districts have no statutory limit on the amount of taxes they can raise. If they want a $3,000,000 gym, they get it. If they want to give $100,000 salaries with full benefits, insurance, overtime and retirement to people who work 185 days a year, they get it. It's like having a credit card with no limit. That's what they think living in their isolated academic bubble.
Third: as in state-subsidized building projects, local funding increases should be sent to Harrisburg, not arbitrarily raised due to the local whims of the day.
Fourth: Local school boards have very little power to do anything but RAISE taxes. For instance, in Collective Bargaining, the local communities negotiating power is disproportionally diluted when compared to the combined power of the state-wide teachers union.
How can 9 part-time people with real "day jobs" go up against the mob of thousands of teachers in a powerful union that negotiates contracts full-time EVERY DAY. Again, the State should be charged with negotiating and settling wages of the teachers, who are actually employees of a State Agency. And strikes should be outlawed, punishable with firing or jail. They are "professionals", aren't they?
If you own a house worth $100,000 in Allegheny County, this is what you will pay.
This list is derived directly from School District, Local Municipality, and County Real Estate Taxes.
NOTE Brentwood is Third from the top in the most heavily taxed communities.
BTW: Here's Cranberry $1420
Wilkinsburg Borough $5,369
Rankin Borough $4,239
Brentwood Borough $4,146
City of Clairton $4,141
East Pittsburgh Borough $4,074
Dormont Borough $4,000
Rosslyn Farms Borough $3,934
Braddock Borough $3,929
Baldwin Township $3,780
McKees Rocks Borough $3,769
Swissvale Borough $3,769
North Braddock Borough $3,759
Forest Hills Borough $3,694
Stowe Township $3,694
Carnegie Borough $3,654
Avalon Borough $3,644
Millvale Borough $3,644
East McKeesport Borough $3,633
Wall Borough $3,623
Turtle Creek Borough $3,609
Coraopolis Borough $3,608
Wilmerding Borough $3,603
Baldwin Borough $3,591
North Versailles Township $3,573
Braddock Hills Borough $3,559
Chalfant Borough $3,549
Etna Borough $3,544
Edgewood Borough $3,525
Bellevue Borough $3,519
Whitehall Borough $3,480
Crafton Borough $3,434
Whitaker Borough $3,421
Elizabeth Borough $3,405
Castle Shannon Borough $3,390
Harrison Township $3,390
Brackenridge Borough $3,389
Tarentum Borough $3,388
Verona Borough $3,388
Homestead Borough $3,361
Blawnox Borough $3,350
Mount Lebanon $3,322
South Park Township $3,299
Reserve Township $3,293
West Homestead Borough $3,292
Penn Hills Township $3,268
Churchill Borough $3,259
Heidelberg Borough $3,251
Leetsdale Borough $3,214
Mount Oliver Borough $3,211
Wilkins Township $3,210
West Mifflin Borough $3,205
Fawn Township $3,190
Shaler Township $3,174
Springdale Borough $3,169
East Deer Township $3,159
Munhall Borough $3,136
Oakmont Borough $3,135
Pleasant Hills Borough $3,129
Cheswick Borough $3,119
Springdale Township $3,089
Sharpsburg Borough $3,076
West Elizabeth Borough $3,068
Glassport Borough $3,050
Ingram Borough $3,049
Elizabeth Township*** $3,048
Green Tree Borough $3,035
Sewickley Borough $3,034
Neville Township $3,033
Jefferson Borough $3,031
Crescent Township $3,030
Plum Borough $3,019
Leet Township $3,004
South Fayette Township $2,988
Pitcairn Borough $2,985
Upper St. Clair Township $2,974
Harmar Township $2,945
City of Pittsburgh $2,941
West Deer Township $2,940
Bethel Park $2,937
Frazer Township $2,924
Lincoln Borough $2,920
Oakdale Borough $2,919
North Fayette Township $2,909
Aleppo Township $2,904
Haysville Borough $2,904
Aspinwall Borough $2,901
Scott Township $2,901
Forward Township $2,900
Edgeworth Borough $2,894
Pennsbury Village $2,889
West View Borough $2,887
Bridgeville Borough $2,876
Osborne Borough $2,864
Ben Avon Borough $2,856
Thornburg Borough $2,849
Versailles Borough $2,840
Kilbuck Township $2,839
Findlay Township $2,814
Bell Acres Borough $2,804
Port Vue Borough $2,801
Emsworth Borough $2,789
Dravosburg Borough $2,772
Glenfield Borough $2,769
Richland Township $2,764
Collier Township $2,751
Hampton Township $2,739
Sewickley Heights Borough $2,729
Liberty Borough $2,720
Moon Township $2,708
South Versailles Township $2,660
White Oak Borough $2,656
Indiana Township $2,651
Monroeville Borough $2,630
Bradford Woods Borough $2,614
Marshall Township $2,611
Pine Township $2,609
O'Hara Township $2,596
McCandless Township $2,591
Fox Chapel Borough $2,576
Franklin Park Borough $2,570
Ohio Township $2,564
Robinson Township $2,564
Ross Township $2,516
Sewickley Hills Borough $2,489
Ben Avon Heights Borough $2,439
Kennedy Township $2,434
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As I recall, this list looks just like a flier that I and every other Brentwood voter received in the mail a few years back. But I think that Brentwood was number 5 then, (But you know maybe if they work real hard we can get to number 1 on the list! :)
IF these stats are true, why then aren't all of us moving to the BIG, BAD, BETTER 'BURBS??? Why did we ever think we could not afford to live in Upper St. Clair??? I have relatives there, and knew what they paid in the taxes they OFTEN complained about. I'm not sure the figures offered herein are accurate.
Singer:
In USC you'd be hard pressed to find a home for under $200,000. (Taxes are low.) Taxes paid on that home = $5948
In Brentwood most homes (if you're lucky) are worth about $75,000 (because of the high tax rate.) Taxes paid = $3109
In USC your home appreciates in value, in Brentwood it stagnates, up or down a little.
Brentwood you pay less for a home of little value, in USC you pay more for a home of value. I'd rather pay a higher mortgage payment than a higher tax payment, and also I want my investment to appreciate in value over the years, not go down in value.
In Brentwood you pay less, but per capita you pay a lot more.
Actually, I found alot in the $100K range only 10 minutes ago.
Heres a few.....
99 LONG DRIVE $99,000, ML # - 654087
207 MC MURRAY RD $99,900, ML # - 699889
1607 COOK SCHOOL ROAD $107,000, ML # - 683385
307 Howard Drive $111,900, ML # - 689195
95 Long Drive $115,000, ML # - 700802
Your point is correct, per assessed dollar, you pay more.
I'de rather pay into my house than into corrupt or inefficient government.
A doubting Tom!!!!
First: The stats are accurate and are derived directly from:
http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/treasure/millmuni.asp
and
http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/treasure/millsd.asp
Precise data.
Second, you can afford to live in Upper St. Clair. I've looked at many homes in the $100-130K range list price.... and they go for undoubtedly less when you bid. They are all on the Multi-list, again, publicly available on most any realtor web site. Again, accurate as far as the market goes.
Third: Go to the county assessment website and see what your "relatives" house is assessed at. If you own a McMansion with 3000 square feet anywhere, the taxes will be higher. Accurate and relative.
Fourth: If you look at the average square footage in Brentwood compared to the prices listed above, with the exception of a few homes on Brownsville Road and in Colonial Park, you will generally find parity in price.
Prices in Brentwood are somewhat lower for a plethora of reasons. All you have to do is look at all the posts on these blogs to get an idea of why... or just look around: crooked politicians, cliques, crumbling infrastructure, unreasonable expenditures just to name a few. As a result of lower home values, the taxing authorities, mainly the School District, are forced to have a higher millage rate.
The bottom line, you pay more to live here. It's not rocket science, just simple math.
Ta ta.
Ronjamin, I have one question! Did you vote for Ed Rendell? It all comes down to who we vote for. Did he not promise residents of Pennsylvania a tax reduction. The only talk I have heard is of tax increases for PA. Ed Rendell promised to reduce taxes. Interestingly enough it has not happened. Where is our state relief. Politicians tell you what you want to hear. You have to be smart enough to know when it is BS.
You make MANY good points. I do not think you will ever see a tax decrease in Brentwood. However, I think other areas will catch up to us if we stay put and leave the taxes alone. But, we need to spur growth otherwise the tax revenue will slow and what other choice is there.
We also need to cut borough costs, and I think we should merge the police. It is way too expensive for a little borough like ours to afford all the beneifits and wages of a police department on our own for such a small area.
Actually, I was torn between a milquetoast and Rendell. What choice did we have?
In terms of tax reductions, Rendell has done nothing but raise them. Just look at the gambling revenue BS. It was supposed to off-set property taxes. NO, we use it for stadiums.....to go into the private hands of a few rich individuals who care nothing about US, only their million-dollar pay-outs.
And while we are on that topic if tax relief, just how in the world did a virtually bankrupt company get the gambling license for Pittsburgh? Why was the worlds largest publicly-owned, and most financially secure gambling company, who was ready to start the slots on Day 1 instead of a year later, get passed over for someone who is largely an unknown? Sounds fishy to me.
Who said it? Theres something rotten.........
Now, in terms of merging, that is not the panacea. I would rather have some input in local politics than none. The idiot who is running for Mayor in the City wants to merge the County with the City. Imagine that!!!!! Two of the most corrupt, incompetent, byzantine governments in Pennsylvania, merging into a bigger intransigent entity.
For what it's worth, having autonomy gives us the ability to beat up on these politicians from time to time, and sometimes we get somewhere. Try doing that in the city....ha ha ha, never happens.