Concerned Citizens of Nazareth Area School District (CC-NASD)

House Bill 1776, The Property Tax Independence Act, is an effort to eliminate school property and local school nuisance taxes across the Commonwealth. To garner attention for it an online petition is collecting signatures. You will find it here:

Sign the Property Tax Independence Act Petition!

Here are 10 well-considered reasons to eliminate the property tax, which will benefit the lives of all Pennsylvanians and help to make our Commonwealth an economic powerhouse and a great place to live, work and raise a family.

1. Achieve True Home Ownership
You never really own your home as long as it can be taken from you for not paying your property taxes. You’re simply paying rent to the government under threat of eviction.
2. Stabilize School Funding
Many school districts are struggling with steep declines in property tax revenues as a result of assessment appeals by home and business owners. House Bill 1776, the Property Tax Independence Act, creates a stable, predictable, equitable stream of revenue for K-12 education.
3. Help Prevent Foreclosures
Many homes that are in danger of being foreclosed could be saved with the elimination of the monthly property tax escrow that can amount to as much as 40 percent of a mortgage payment.
4. Restore Plummeting Real Estate Values
Because of excessively high property taxes, homes in some areas of Pennsylvania have sharply declined in value and have become almost impossible to sell. Replacing the school property tax with other funding sources will restore value and make these homes more attractive to buyers.
5. Boost the Sagging Housing Market
Elimination of the monthly property tax escrow payment will make homeownership more affordable, increasing both new and existing home sales.
6. Attract Business to Pennsylvania
Businesses are eager to establish a presence in states where the tax burden is low. Attracting business to Pennsylvania by replacing the property tax can be a huge stimulus for the state’s economy.
7. Generate Jobs for Pennsylvanians
The second largest fixed cost for Pennsylvania business owners is the property tax. Many business owners have stated that the savings gained by no longer paying the property tax would enable them to expand their businesses and hire more employees.
8. Create a Massive Stimulus for Pennsylvania
Homeowners pay approximately $10 billion annually in school property taxes. Returning that money to homeowners to spend as they please would create an organic, massive stimulus for Pennsylvania’s economy – one that would not subject the Commonwealth to the borrowing and debt associated with typical government stimulus initiatives.
9. Increase Personal Wealth
A home purchase is a family’s largest investment. With increased home values and no property tax escrow to pay, homeowners will enjoy a significant boost in personal wealth and a much greater ability to invest in a brighter, more secure future for their families.
10. Stop Costly Reassessments
Replacing the school property tax is the first step toward the replacement of all property taxes. With no property tax, property assessments will become a thing of the past. The average $10 million per county reassessment cost will be eliminated and government spending – and the taxes needed to support it – will be reduced.

No Tax Should Have the Power to Leave You Homeless.