Municipal officials talk tax fairness in Coudersport

Municipal officials talk tax fairness in Coudersport

By ALEX DAVIS Era Reporter a.davis@bradfordera.com
Bradford Era
Government officials from eight counties and others met in Coudersport to get ready to take on Harrisburg.

The State Land Tax Fairness Coalition meeting involved about 40 people helping to figure out the best chance of success to get money filtered back to rural areas that have significant amounts of state-owned land and oil, gas and timber industries. More than half of those who turned out for the program at the F.W. Gunzburger County Office Building were commissioners from eight counties, and others, mostly geographic information system (GIS) professionals and chief tax assessors.

The group is championing to get two laws passed: One proposal would call for an increase in-lieu-of-taxes payments to school districts, counties and municipalities for state-owned lands, and the other for state-collected revenue from future gas and oil leases and timber sales on state-owned land to be shared with school districts, counties and municipalities. Read more...