Allegheny County will finally reassess over 585,000 properties and will now do so on a regular basis.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania’s second-largest county hasn’t completed a countywide reassessment since 2012, leading to flurries of large properties losing value, revenue for municipalities and school districts plummeting and local taxes increasing.
The latest: Common Pleas Judge Kenneth G. Valasek ruled Tuesday that Allegheny County must perform a property reassessment to replace the 2012 base values, and must start by 2027.
- It also must complete the reassessment by 2032, per the ruling.
What that means: All properties in the county will see new assessed values after the process is completed, which typically takes a few years.
- Countywide reassessments must be revenue-neutral, per state law, meaning that the county, local municipalities and school districts will not receive a financial windfall from the reassessment.
- It’s likely that Allegheny County’s property tax rate — currently at 6.43 mills — will change to comply with anti-windfall rules.
Stunning stat: Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that does not mandate its counties to perform regular property reassessments.
- Some counties go decades without reassessments. Butler County hasn’t reassessed since 1969.
Zoom in: Allegheny County agreed in principle to reassess every five years, according to the ruling.
- That’s not codified in legislation, but a bill in Allegheny County Council would require regular reassessments every three years.
- Council Member Bethany Hallam (D-North Side) told Axios the bill will move forward, but she is open to amending it to a five-year cycle to align with the court’s opinions.
Between the lines: Countywide property reassessments typically mean some owners will pay more, some less, and some the same. The change usually shifts some burden away from new property owners and lower-valued properties…