As the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania considers a proposal to eliminate property tax,  legislators are urged to vote “no.” The implications of the current proposal are wide-reaching and present serious concerns for students, parents, taxpayers, our public schools, and our local economies. While property tax reform is arguably necessary to help many in communities across the state, this legislation is not the answer.

Consider the following:

• The property tax elimination proposal doesn't truly deliver property tax elimination. Since school districts must retain a property tax to pay existing debt, residents in 43% of Pennsylvania's 500 school districts will continue to pay at least 20% of their current property tax bill, according to the most recently available data. Taxpayers in 23 school districts will continue to pay at least 50% of their current school property tax bill. These property taxes will remain while those same taxpayers pay more in personal income tax and sales and use tax. Taxpayers will also continue to pay approximately $5 billion in property taxes to counties and other local governments. MANY IN PENNSYLVANIA WILL ACTUALLY PAY MORE IN TAXES THAN THEY CURRENTLY DO.
• Some of the poorest communities in the state will be most impacted, as the proposed increases in state taxes outweigh any minimal reduction in property taxes. THE INCREASE  AND EXPANSION OF SALES TAX MEANS THAT MANY EVERYDAY EXPENSES LIKE CHILDCARE AND SOME HEALTHCARE SERVICES WILL BECOME EVEN LESS AFFORDABLE TO MANY ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH.
• Eliminating property taxes across the board means that the property tax burden carried by businesses will be shifted to individuals in the form of increased personal income and sales tax. Property tax elimination gives big business a break at the expense of individuals and small businesses and our local economies. THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF ENTIRE COMMUNITIES COULD BE AFFECTED. 
• The current proposal does nothing to address costs related to pension, healthcare, collective bargaining agreements, special education costs, or capital needs. It is likely that school districts will be forced to make cuts in educational programs to accommodate these rising costs. THESE CUTS THREATEN PROPERTY VALUES BECAUSE THE STRENGTH OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE VALUE OF HOMES IN THAT DISTRICT. 

Please oppose current efforts to eliminate school property taxes. While property tax reform may be a critical issue, any proposal must clearly address the purposes of education and also fairly tax the citizens of the Commonwealth. The current proposal is a shell game that only serves to exacerbate the inequity in school funding, deteriorate our public school systems, and threaten  the vitality of our communities.