Quigley Says Property Tax Relief in Budget Proposal is Only a Start
HARRISBURG – Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) was present when Gov. Tom Wolf outlined his proposed budget plan for fiscal year 2015-16 before a joint session of the General Assembly today in Harrisburg. Wolf’s plan would spend $33.8 billion, a 16 percent increase over this year’s budget. It also includes a litany of tax increases, including personal income and sales tax increases.
The governor proposed increasing the state Personal Income Tax from 3.07 percent to 3.70 percent to raise $2.41 billion. His plan calls for using only $2.14 billion of that to reduce, not replace, school district property taxes.
Quigley has been meeting with House Majority Leader Dave Reed and approximately 20 other legislators from around the Commonwealth to discuss property tax elimination. He supports a dollar-for-dollar approach to replace property taxes.
“Allocating $2.14 billion to property tax reduction is a start, but it’s not enough. I know how important property tax elimination is to the residents of the 146th District, and that’s what I will continue to pursue,” Quigley said.
The governor also called for a 10 percent increase in the state sales tax to bring in an additional $1.55 billion in tax revenues. He would not dedicate any of the new sales tax revenues to reduce property taxes.
“Until legislation is passed that would prevent people from being pushed out of their homes because of out-of-control property taxes, our work isn’t done. Not dedicating new sales tax revenue to the property tax issue is such a tragic missed opportunity, and I hope the governor will reconsider,” Quigley said. “This is the No. 1 issue that people share with me, and it can be resolved. I will continue to work on this issue so residents can enjoy the relief that they so desperately need.”
For more information on the budget proposal or any state-related issue, contact Quigley’s district office at 610-792-1280.
Representative Tom Quigley
146th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
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