City of Philadelphia - File #: 130314

• File #: 130314
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 4/18/2013
• In control: Committee of the Whole
• Title: Authorizing Council's Committee of the Whole to hold hearings to investigate the coordination between various City commissions, departments and agencies on outreach efforts regarding the Actual Value Initiative (AVI) in the City of Philadelphia, particularly as to informing senior citizens, vulnerable populations and other hard-to-reach groups, and to determine and immediately make recommendations to the appropriate City agencies for improved citizen and community outreach.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Green

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
4/28/2014	0	Committee on Streets and Services	REPORTED FAVORABLY, RULE SUSPENSION REQUESTED
4/18/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
4/18/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED

Title
Authorizing Council's Committee of the Whole to hold hearings to investigate the coordination between various City commissions, departments and agencies on outreach efforts regarding the Actual Value Initiative (AVI) in the City of Philadelphia, particularly as to informing senior citizens, vulnerable populations and other hard-to-reach groups, and to determine and immediately make recommendations to the appropriate City agencies for improved citizen and community outreach.
Body
WHEREAS, The Office of Property Assessment (OPA) conducts property assessments to determine the value of properties within the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The OPA is proposing change to the way properties are assessed from the current system to the Actual Value Initiative (AVI) which is changing the certified market value of every piece of property in the City and the way individual assessments are used to calculate tax bills; and

WHEREAS, During the OPA's 2013 Budget Hearings in City Council on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, it was revealed that many homeowners in the City were not informed or educated about the proposed AVI initiative and out of 340,000 property owners eligible for the Homestead Exemption only 183,000 applications were received; and

WHEREAS, Evidence suggests that certain categories of homeowners may require additional or alternative methods of outreach, particularly those homeowners who lack regular internet access including the elderly and low-income, and those who have limited English proficiency; and

WHEREAS, Although the Administration has held select community meetings in the City, there is clearly a need for an improved implementation strategy amongst City commissions, departments and agencies such as the Office of Property Assessment, the Mayor's Commission on Aging, the Managing Director's Office, Philly Rising, the Office of Consumer Affairs and all Housing Counseling Agencies and Neighborhood Action Centers that receive funding from th...