Colleagues,
 
In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation that will protect Pennsylvania property owners from sudden, severe spikes in school district real estate taxes that result from dramatic shifts in property values.
 
Economic development is a win for our local communities, but it can come with an unintended consequence. Recently, in a small rural township in Carbon County, a major investment in a single facility resulted in a nearly 70% increase in school district tax bills for the upcoming school year, completely blindsiding residents of the township and school administrators alike. This is the unintended cost of economic progress, and it falls hardest on working families and fixed-income residents who had no warning and no time to prepare.
 
My legislation would apply specifically to multi-county school districts and would limit any increase in rebalanced millage rates to the Act 1 Index that is calculated for the school district. This targeted approach recognizes the unique complexity that multi-county school districts face when a single significant development dramatically shifts the tax burden across municipal boundaries. School districts could still increase local taxes to generate operating revenue; it would simply be done in a more reasonable and predictable path forward for residents versus a sudden 70% year-over-year increase.
 
This is a common-sense solution that rewards economic investment without punishing the neighbors it leaves behind. I urge you to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.