Jul. 12, 2019
HARRISBURG – After receiving unanimous support from the General Assembly, two bills drafted by state Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Nazareth) to save taxpayers and local municipalities money were signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Before the passage of Emrick’s bills, municipalities were required to pay for separate advertisements each year to advertise their budget and their tax rate, despite – in many cases – the tax rate not changing from the previous year. Emrick’s legislation eliminates the need for municipalities to advertise their tax rate unless it increases from the previous year, saving the taxpayers the expense of advertising a tax rate that hasn’t changed.
“Because it can cost as much as $1,000 each time to advertise tax rates in the newspaper, eliminating the need to advertise tax rates that haven’t increased translates into savings for taxpayers. It also offers another incentive for municipalities to avoid raising taxes,” Emrick said.
Act 50 of 2019 amends the First Class Township Code, and
Act 51 of 2019 amends the Borough and Third Class City codes. Both laws enable the property tax millage rate to be assessed by resolution, rather than ordinance, as long as the local municipality keeps the current tax rate the same or reduces taxes.
“These laws were created with the principle of saving taxpayer money in mind, and I am proud that they received unanimous support from both chambers of the General Assembly. Having the full support of my colleagues proves how beneficial the legislation is for all Pennsylvanians,” Emrick added.
Representative Joe Emrick
137th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam
717.260.6222
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
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