Tax Relief Changes Proposed

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner is urging lawmakers to simplify the application process for gaming-based property tax relief.
Wagner says the current county-by-county property tax relief system is too confusing.
He says a major issue is the fact property owners need to fill out an application in order to receive a tax reduction funded by revenue from Pennsylvania’s casinos.
Wagner, a Democrat who’s running for governor, says a study of several counties shows many people just don’t get around to doing that, so lot of revenue is going unclaimed.

"And with those 49 counties alone, I stand up here and can absolutely say there are at least a hundred thousand property owners not getting property tax relief from gaming revenues in Pennsylvania."

The size of rebates fluctuates by school district, but Wagner says they averaged out to 189 dollars last year. County tax assessors process relief applications, but Wagner wants the Department of Revenue or another statewide agency to assume more oversight.