|
Capitol Update |
Friday, October 27, 2017 |
The latest news from the State Capitol |
Bridge Dedication Ceremony to Honor Master Sgt. Thomas Maholic
Bradford Township native Thomas
Maholic gave his life in service to our country more than a decade ago
in Afghanistan. Please join me tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 28)
to pay tribute to this brave soldier by dedicating the bridge on Route
770 over the Tunungwant Creek in McKean County as the Master Sgt. Thomas
Maholic Memorial Bridge.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.
at the site of the bridge on Route 770 (Minard Run Road) near the
intersection with Route 219. For safety reasons, Minard Run Road will be
closed between the Route 219 intersection and High Street intersection
from 10-11 a.m.
|
Outreach Hours Set for Nov. 2
To help ensure access to state
government information and services, I will hold outreach office hours
at the following locations on Thursday, Nov. 2:
- Emporium Borough Office – 9-10 a.m.
- Port Allegany Borough Office – 11 a.m. to noon.
Services available include
assistance with any state-related issues or concerns, driver license and
vehicle registration applications, and applications for various state
programs, such as the senior citizen Property Tax/Rent Rebate and
PACE/PACENET prescription drug assistance programs.
As always, you are welcome to stop
by my offices in Bradford (78 Main St., first floor), Coudersport (107
S. Main St., Room 1) or Kane (55 Fraley St.) Monday through Friday, or visit my website at RepCauser.com or my Facebook page at Facebook.com/RepCauser for the latest news from state government.
|
Meeting with Area Realtors
Thank you to the McKean County
Association of Realtors for inviting me to a legislative luncheon last
week with Realtors from all three counties of the 67th Legislative
District. We had a good discussion about the state budget, as well as
property taxes and the related referendum (see article below) coming up
on the ballot for the Nov. 7 General Election.
|
Final Pieces of Budget Package Headed to Governor
The House and Senate have sent the
remaining pieces of the 2017-18 budget package to the governor’s desk.
Among the bills approved this week
is one providing more than $2.7 million in funding to the University of
Pittsburgh at Bradford, a $200,000 increase over the prior year’s
budget. This money helps offset tuition costs for in-state students.
Bills to fund the other state-related universities, including Penn
State, Lincoln, Temple and the veterinary school at the University of
Pennsylvania, were also approved.
Another measure fulfills our $5
million commitment to the Rural Regional College and ensures funding is
distributed to our Community Education Councils.
Finally, the General Assembly also
approved legislation providing a limited expansion of gaming options in
the Commonwealth to generate revenue needed to complete funding for the
current year’s budget.
All of the measures are on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature.
|
Heating Assistance Program Opens Soon
Residents who are struggle with
their home heating bills can apply for assistance from the Low-Income
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program
that helps individuals and families pay their heating bills through
home heating energy assistance grants. It also provides crisis grants to
help in the event of an emergency or if a resident is in danger of
losing his or her heat due to broken equipment, lack of fuel or
termination of utility service.
The income eligibility guidelines
for LIHEAP are set at 150 percent of the federal poverty income level.
For example, the income limit for an individual is $18,090; for a
couple, the limit is $24,360; and for a family of four, it is $36,900.
Residents may apply for LIHEAP online or by contacting the County Assistance Office in their county of residence.
- Cameron County, 411 Chestnut St., Emporium, 1-877-855-1824.
- McKean County, 68 Chestnut St., Suite B, Bradford, 1-800-822-1108.
- Potter County, 269 Route 6 West, Room 1, Coudersport, 1-800-446-9896.
|
Property Tax Referendum on Nov. 7 Ballot
Voters will have an opportunity to
vote on a state constitutional amendment that could impact property tax
reform efforts. The question will appear on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot.
Currently, the state Constitution
permits local governments – counties, municipalities and school
districts – to exclude up to 50 percent of the median assessed home
value from a homeowner’s tax bill. However, the referendum on the ballot
will allow voters to decide if the maximum homestead exclusion could be
increased to 100 percent of primary residences. For example, under the
current homestead exclusion, if the median assessed home value in your
school district is $100,000, up to $50,000 can be excluded from your tax
bill if your school district elected the full 50 percent exclusion
rate. If the value of your home is assessed at $150,000, your local
property tax rate would only be applied to $100,000 of that value.
If the resolution amending the
Constitution is approved, the homestead exclusion cap could be removed.
However, the General Assembly would still have to pass a law to
implement the change, and local governments would still be responsible
for establishing exclusion amounts for homesteads within each district.
Read the public notice from the Pennsylvania Department of State here.
|
|
No comments :
Post a Comment