Council members preserve employment for BRT staff

Council members aren’t against abolishing of the Board of Revision of Taxes, which evaluates buildings and homes and decides how much people pay in property taxes. In fact, a Council Committee approve the plan, which must go to voters.

Philadelphia’s Board of Revision of Taxes had decided to hand its duties over to Mayor Michael Nutter’s office. But some City Council members are worried about the impact of abolishing the board.

Listen:
[audio: 091209tmbrt.mp3]

Council members aren’t against abolishing of the Board of Revision of Taxes, which evaluates buildings and homes and decides how much people pay in property taxes. In fact, a council committee approve the plan, which must go to voters.

The problem is what will happen to more than 80 people currently working for the agency. Finance Director Rob Dubow says he couldn’t guarantee how many people would retain their jobs in the new entity that would be created, that was unacceptable to Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell.

Blackwell: A lot of people seem to have accepted that people will be reduced that people will have to take civil service tests and that they will go to civil service, and I think that is regrettable. We have to protect the people that send us here and the people in our districts.

The workers at the BRT were hired through patronage, which means they got their jobs because they knew a politician or other influential person.