Tom Waring, the Wire
Bucks County Democratic Reps. John Galloway and Tina Davis both voted to adopt an amendment to a bill that would offer lower property taxes and stabilize school funding.
The House adopted the amendment to House Bill 504 by a 109–86 vote, with support from both sides of the aisle.
“I have been a strong proponent for fixing our property tax system since I first took office in 2007,” Galloway said. “As is true for any true reform effort, this amendment had much to offer along with some negatives, but in this case, the advantages made this a very easy ‘yes’ vote.
“Adopting this amendment was a crucial step in including a real property tax cut in the upcoming budget, and it also offers potential tax cuts to all property owners, as well as to stabilize school funding in the future. My goal is to completely eliminate property taxes for all Pennsylvanians, and this is a promising beginning.”
Davis said the Republican amendment to H.B. 504 provides incremental tax relief by shifting more of the school tax burden to state revenue sources, such as the state income and sales and use taxes.
“The approved proposal neither provides all I’m seeking nor what property taxpayers deserve,” Davis said. “However, the vote ensures that the issue will not be pushed aside as budget deliberations proceed.”
