Bring back property reassessment

Tom Waseleski

County Executive Dan Onorato has proposed a budget for next year that's tight-fisted and keeps a lid on spending. There's no increase in the property tax rate and the plan even proposes cutting the 10 percent drink tax down to 7 percent. Here's what our editorial said about it today. 

Although Onorato takes pride in having frozen property assessments to their 2002 levels, his base-year method is on a collision course with reality. By now, most properties, whether they're homes or businesses, are worth less or worth more than they were six years ago. That means most of us are paying too little or too much property tax.

The solution is regular, periodic reassessment. If other states can do it without having a collective civic breakdown, why can't Allegheny County? No doubt you appreciate tough budgeting and stable tax rates, too -- but don't you agree that the county should resume some sort of regular reassessment?