Taxpayers spared legal costs
There is no doubt that Pennsylvania’s real property assessment system demands change; a simpler, cheaper, more efficient method could easily be devised. I fully agree with those points in a recent letter from Judith Fischer.
It was, however, suggested that state Rep. Brandon Neuman sponsored a bill that would have worked an unconstitutional “fix” for Washington County. The bill that Neuman introduced, which passed the House of Representatives, had no constitutional objection; the bill was amended in the Senate, where Neuman does not sit, and that rendered the bill unconstitutional. On this basis, Tom Corbett, who was then governor, properly vetoed the bill.
The same letter also suggested that an affidavit signed by Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi resulted in a reassessment that could otherwise have been avoided. It is more reasonable to see his signature on that document as something that spared taxpayers large legal fees that have accompanied attempts to delay a reassessment in the past.
B. Kirk Holman
California