Statement from County Executive Regarding Reassessments
Published on March 22, 2024
Statement from the Office of County Executive Innamorato Regarding Reassessments
(PITTSBURGH) - This week, Abigail Gardner, spokeswoman for County Executive Innamorato, released the following statement to the media regarding the ongoing discussion about property appeals and the need for a reassessment:
“It is important to recognize that behind these appeals of assessment values is more than just the urgency of a reassessment but that the economy fundamentally changed in the post pandemic recovery.
“There has been a return of tourism to pre-pandemic levels, and other tax revenues are up. In the City of Pittsburgh building permits are up and their construction value have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. These are encouraging signs. The committed coalition of people who have come together to reimagine the future of downtown includes the Mayor, URA, the Conference, the PDP, concerned businesses and residents, and more. And I’m proud that all three taxing bodies passed a LERTA to help stimulate conversions from commercial to residential buildings.
“The County budget is in good shape, as our budget team projected for appeals and set aside revenue accordingly.
“However, we recognize that several municipalities and school districts are concerned with dropping revenues. And we need everyone to recognize that the way we’ve done reassessments has been broken for a long time. Delaying what should be a regular and revenue-neutral process into something that is avoided for a decade and then shocks the system may have massive unintended consequences for vulnerable neighbors.
“We are working to gather all the relevant data about the state of assessments in the county and engage stakeholders at the state and municipal level to create a more thoughtful and consistent approach. We recognize this is a priority and are working intentionally and quickly to bring the right people and the necessary information together to make informed decisions.”
Media inquiries may be directed to the Communications Office.
For contact information, including email addresses and telephone numbers, visit the office website.