To: Philadelphia City Council and Mayor James Kenney
Real Estate Tax Abatement in Philadelphia is unfair!

 
The 10-year tax abatement needs to be redefined. As residents of an overdeveloped area of the city, we are petitioning The Mayor and Philadelphia City Council to redefine its determination that all wards in the city are blighted. This determination enables new developments throughout the city to qualify for the 10-year tax abatement. Our community has been severely impacted by overdevelopment. The demolition of historic buildings, loss of green space, increased density and increased traffic have adversely affected our quality of life. There are many areas of the City of Philadelphia that would benefit from the development that is spurred by the10-year tax abatement. Ours is not one of them. It is time for this to change. Although this petition is being initiated by residents of Roxborough and Manayunk there are other neighborhoods who have been impacted and we welcome them to join us.  Take a look at our neighborhood. We are not blighted! NOT ALL of Philadelphia is blighted.

Philadelphia City Council has decided that all of Philadelphia is blighted, enabling developers to build homes that qualify for the 10-year tax abatement anywhere in Philadelphia. The 10-year tax abatement was implemented to encourage redevelopment of deteriorating, blighted neighborhoods. Instead, the deteriorating, blighted neighborhoods stay deteriorated and blighted, and ours continue to be overdeveloped!