Councilmembers sound off on Philadelphia’s Actual Value Initiative

The Nutter administration is having difficulties selling its plan to City Council to re-assess all properties. 

While grilling Philadelphia’s finance director, Councilman Jim Kenney spoke out about the Nutter administration’s plan re-assess properties for current values, which would bring 94 million dollars additional dollars for the city schools.

“Those neighborhoods that have changed are going to get destroyed over this because if your real estate taxes are equal or close to what you are paying in the suburbs why are you living here, what’s the sense of living here, what are you getting?” asked Kenney. “At least over there they think they can use the school system which they feel they can’t use it here.”

Council President Darrell Clarke says people who can afford new or fully renovated homes are avoiding the tax increase because they have 10 year abatements.

“The reality is a lot of these neighborhoods were you are going to see these significant increases are going to be in areas that it’s only happening because these new constructions starts that have increased values,” said Clarke.

City officials say they are doing what they can to find every dime of available revenue to help with the budget situation.