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Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

It sounds like I will be part of a chorus of complaints about
latest increases in property taxes sent out by the Board of
Revision of Taxes. The increases are insane unless this City is
intent on destroying the revitalization of select neighborhoods,
which has taken place over the past years. The increases are
beginning to price marginal neighborhoods out of the reach of
middle class residents, whose City tax burden only begins with
their property taxes. This burden needs to be considered in the
context of the City Wage Tax, Failing Schools (which force many
parents into private/parochial school system) and the cost of car
insurance. If Philadelphia intends to compete with surrounding
communities for residents, it had better ask itself how much
people are willing to pay for the pleasure of living in the city.

I've put many hours into trying to make my community a better and
more livable place as President of the Powelton Village Civic
Association, but none of that time has changed certain things
about where I live. I live a across the street from a Drexel
Fraternity House, two houses down from an Alcohol and Drug
rehabilitation center and next door to an apartment house whose
student residents determine my sleeping patterns by their
partying. My property backs on to yard in Powelton which
contains a collection of junk that many salvage yards would be
proud of, along with habitat for Possum, Raccoons and rodents.

I hope the Mayor and City Council take the time to reconsider our
system of property taxes, before the prices drive people out of
the City.

Sincerely,


Michael Jones

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Our taxes went up both last year and 2003 but the increase is
currently manageable. But what truly concerns us is what will
happen to our neighborhood. The people who live in the same
houses across the street from us have found their property taxes
doubled (an increase of $2,000 per year). A few of these
homeowners are elderly people who do not care if their house is
valued at the $10,000 they paid or the $300,000 they could get
today. All they care about is the ability to stay in a house
that has been their home for a long time. How can you expect
them to bear an additional $170 a month? And how can you ask
them to bear it while you give 10-year tax abatements to
individuals buying new homes in excess of $500,000?

My husband & I are very concerned. This year we can afford the
increase, maybe next year we won't be able to and we will be
forced from our home. Maybe, on top of having to pay for
private school for our children, we won't want to... Maybe we
will leave the city and so will others like us? All this hard
work to get neighborhoods rejuvenated, renovated and renewed...

Someone needs to seriously look at the real estate tax code.
Then someone needs to look at all the abandoned property owned
in this city and see what taxes those individuals/corporations
are paying.... and then someone needs to assess those
individuals who don't care for their property a real estate tax
increase on the basis that they are destroying our city. And
then someone needs to show the city's appreciation for efforts
to beautify their homes and enhance their neighborhoods to those
individuals who spend time, money and elbow grease to improve
the city.

That's all I have to say for now... but I feel strongly that
the city is imploding and this is just one more self-destructive
action.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

As a resident of Philadelphia for 32 of my 40 years (and
homeowner for the past 8), I am outrgaged at the recent
increases in real estate assessments.

I am a good citizen. I have no objection to paying my fair
share of taxes and I do so with pride. But to be hit with back-
to-back increases in my real estate assessments that have
caused my property tax to increase by 50% in two years, I find
myself wanting, [for the very first time in my life!], to join
the stampede to the suburbs.

For my entire life as a taxpayer in this city I have
enthusiastically rendered unto Cesar what is Cesar's in the
spirit of civic pride and responsibility. But this goes too
far. Last year when my assessment was raised, I felt, "well,
that's fair, I've been here 8 years and it was due." No more.

What I see now is a desparate attempt by a city government in
crisis to pull together money for a school district in crisis.
But I say, take your fight to Harrisburg. Take your woes out on
Edison not on the taxpayer. They're the enemy, I'm your ally.
Please, I beg you in the weeks ahead to take the step necessary
to keep me happily here in Philadelphia.

It is time for a revision of the real estate tax code. We need
to implement a code that rewards owners for keeping up their
properties and punishes those who allow properties to fall into
disuse and disrepair. I think that such a change would fit well
with the Mayor's stated goal of reducing blight in the city.

As an example, there is an empty building on my block that is
assessed at less than one half of the assessment on my house.
It is owned by one of my neighbors. She has ignored repeated
pleas by me and other nieghbors to sell the property. If she
paid a HIGHER tax than the rest of her neighbors, she would
have an incentive to sell the property (or at least repair it
and have it occuppied), but the current tax code turns a blind
eye to neglect.

Sincerely,

Eric Moore

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I work in the city I live in the city I spend my money in the
city. and there are some parts out of the city where taxes are
lower. help me stay in the city lower my taxes.thank you I do
not want to move. I'm 65 years young a tax cut will help when
I'm 65 years old Thanks Much A.Searles

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I thank City Council and the Mayor for finally strongly
endorsing the continuation of the reduction in Wage Tax.
Hopefully the concept of Land Value Taxation will not get lost
in the shuffle. I strongly urge that the proposals put forth
by Mr. Saidel be considered and debated by City Council and that
a plan to enact reform in the property tax be sent to the Mayor
for approval.

Reduction of the Wage Tax is only a beginning step in serious
Tax reform. Proper assessment of land values and enforcement
of tax collection could easily cause a vast amount of dormant
land to be put to better use, the resuslt being greater revenue
to the City government and a reduced tax burden to those who
today are paying a disproportionate share of the burden of
financing city government.

Sincerely,

Ray Haupt
639 W. Ellet Street
Philadelphia, PA 19119

reh215@aol.com
215-438-8175

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

Mine is a story that you have heard a thousand times. In 2001 my
property tax increased from around $680 a year to $1,586.
Although this was steep, it was not unexpected for I had taken
out a small home equity loan to pay for repairs to the exterior
of my historic home (cleaned and pointed the front, replaced the
windows). Likewise, I could tell (by city officials parking on
the block in cars, peering at our homes, and scribbling notes on
their clipboards) that we were due for a property tax increase.
But in 2002, my property taxes went up AGAIN, this time to
$1,720. This additional increase is very upsetting to me, and it
begs the question: when will this tax increase stop?

Mine is a complaint you have heard a thousant times. At this
rate of taxation I will not care to afford to living in Center
City much longer. It's okay but given the dirt, the crime, the
dangerous 'celebrations' like mardi Gras, and the seeming dead
weight of City Hall, it ain't THAT GREAT. I can just as well
shop at Freshfields in the suburbs, or drive into town to see a
show at the Kimmel Center. I am also feeling injured by the
apparent unfairness of this tax increase in my neighborhood. Let
me remind you that, despite the fact that two neighbors recently
paid over $200,000 for their homes, our block is still 2 blocks
away from a housing project. Can't we wait to judge the success
of the new Universal Homes enterprise in our neighborhood (I
personally think it will be a success) BEFORE assuming the
surrounding neighborhoods have risen in value? Likewise, from
researching the Hallwatch.org website, I see that I pay an
average rate of tax. However, I do live in an average home.
Unlike my 'wealthier' neighbors, I do not have central air
conditioning, carpet, finished wood floors, a full basement, or
any luxury fixtures/appliances. If I were to sell my home next
week, I would certainly not get over $200,000 for it.

Likewise, can taxes be increased in less 'affluent'
neighborhoods as well to help pay for the things we all rely
upon such as trash collection, city services, economic
development, and law enforcement? Is Center City being punished
for its success? Is it wise to kill the cash cow for a
hamburger? Or butcher the golden egg laying goose for one
holiday dinner?

I love Philadelphia and I don't want to leave. But I will if I
feel like I'm being treated unfairly. I've lived in this house
for 10 years and have been instrumental in improving the quality
of life on our little block. Now I feel like I'm being punished
by an uncaring, self interested City Hall administration. Do you
want me, and others like me, to leave?

Sincerely,

Laurie Fitzpatrick

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

I want to thank you for making the BRT tax database available to the public.
Unfortunately, a review of the taxes on my property and those around me shows
there is no system to the assessment or increase of taxes in my area.

Along my street, there are four properties, one mine, which had increases of
28% in both land and building assesment values from tax year 2001 to 2002.
Then there are six properties next that increased 9%, and two that increased
4%. Why choose such widely different increases? It makes no sense.

Probably the most glaring discrepancy is the assessed land value on the
property next door. Both lots face the street, and are in the middle of the
block. Both have similar homes. Their property is 69,799 square feet, Mine is
41,425.92. Their Assessed land value is $30,546 while mine is $31,440. How
can I have a higher tax on a plot that is 59% of the size of my neighbors? My
assessed value is $.76 per square foot, while theirs is only $.44.

I commend the decision to release the tax database to the public. Now it is
clear the taxes are unfairly and inaccuratly assessed. You must move now to
ask for the blanket reassessment of values, or you will be endorsing this
unfair and inaccurate system.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:
We Philadelphians desperately need to reform our present tax system which is
pennywise and pound foolish. We drive away our tax base--people and business, by
punishing people who are producctive while using taxpayers money bribing rich
corporations with deals that don't improvve the quality of life for average
Philadelphians. In these uncerain economic times it is urgent that you, our
leaders, our mayor and city councilpersons, change this terrible decline by
implementing the Controller's Office Tax Reform Plan. By eliminating unnecessary
disincentive business taxes we actually would ikeep small and medium businesses,
the lifeblood of a viable city, alive and well and by pulling down wage taxes we
would stop unemployed and underemployed workers from becoming homeless and
needing services with money we don't have. By shifting taxes gradually and
definitely from off property improvements to land value site use, it would be a
revenue neutral change and would basically provide a growing tax base. But all
this can't happen without a new and continually upgraded fair and equal
reassessment which would itself off in the short and long run.
Thank you for listening to us, your constituents.

Dear City Council & Mayor Street:

After the recent increase in my property tax (letter I received last
August/September), I decided to look at how much my house was assessed compared
to others on my block (600 block of League Street, 19147). Imagine my surprise
in finding out that my little house actually had the HIGHED ASSESSED MARKET
VALUE of ANY of the houses on my block!! I am on the south side of League
Street where the lots are only about half the size of those on the north side
of the street. And yet MY house was assessed at a higher property value than
ANY of those on the north side of the street.

Now I know that my neighbors all received increases in their property taxes as
well (I heard all the grumbling). But unless you go back and RE-ASSESS EVERY
RESIDENCE from time to time, an "across the board" increase is not really
fair. Since my house is assessed at such a higher value than the others, my
taxes are still going to go up higher than theirs if these "revaluations" are
really just across the board increases in current assessed value.

It is time for the county of Philadelphia to start to re-assess the ACTUAL
VALUE of properties on a regular basis so that such inequities in property
taxation are not allowed to continue for years and years. If it is felt that
long-term residents of neighborhoods should be given a "break" in their
property taxes, then THAT should be a program proposed & voted on in City
Council instead of being a "de facto" program based on long-term failure to re-
assess property values.

Sincerely,


Stephen Thomas Shandor