Title
Authorizing the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless to hold hearings to examine the Office of Property Assessment, its assessment methodology, appeals process, and the impact of rising property assessments and property taxes on Philadelphia residents.
Body
WHEREAS, The Office of Property Assessment (OPA) is responsible for determining the assessed value of all real estate in the City of Philadelphia, which directly impacts property tax bills for homeowners and businesses; and
WHEREAS, In April 2018, Philadelphia City Council issued a Request for Proposals seeking an independent audit of OPA's assessment methodologies and operations, and in June 2018 selected J.F. Ryan Associates, a nationally recognized property appraisal and management consulting firm, which submitted its initial requests for information to OPA staff on June 22; and
WHEREAS, The resulting audit raised concerns regarding OPA's assessment methodology, the uniformity and fairness of property valuations, the transparency of its practices, and the effectiveness of the appeals process, particularly amid rising property assessments and property tax burdens for Philadelphia residents; and
WHEREAS, The audit and related reports identified potential shortcomings in OPA's practices, including failure to meet industry standards for certain property types and patterns of overassessment of lower valued properties; and
WHEREAS, On January 3, 2019, following the independent audit required by City Code, Philadelphia City Council released public recommendations for reform of the Office of Property Assessment, including a complete overhaul of OPA leadership; and
WHEREAS, OPA data and recent reassessments show that over 26% of homeowners are housing burdened which coincides with significant increases in property assessments across many neighborhoods, resulting in higher property tax burdens for Philadelphia residents, with appeals most heavily concentrated in areas experien...
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