After 10 years of slowly rising property tax rates, the upward trend appears to be picking up steam with the potential for multiple hikes in close succession.
In Pennsylvania, counties are charged with assessing property. Allegheny County last did that in 2012, with the values taking effect in 2013.
Many properties have kept the assessments assigned then. Others have not. Property owners and taxing bodies can appeal assessments, arguing that they don’t reflect market values. Tens of thousands of appeals have created a jagged tax landscape in which similar, nearby properties can have very different tax bills…