HARRISBURG –Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) raised questions regarding the governor’s proposed school property tax relief plan favoring areas represented by Democrats during Monday morning’s Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearing with the Department of Education.
Argall emphasized that the state Constitution requires a thorough and efficient system of public education.
“The vast majority of school district taxpayers in the 29th Senatorial District would pay more under this partial property reduction plan – 17 out of 21 school districts would lose according to a House analysis,” Argall said. “Another preliminary review of the governor’s plan indicates that school districts represented by Democrats do much better than school districts represented by Republicans.”
“That does not sound to me like thorough, efficient or uniform,” Argall noted.
Argall concluded his allotted time for questioning by stating that elimination – not reduction – is preferred by members of the state Senate.
“I hope you can understand why many of us would prefer the total elimination of school property taxes rather than this temporary tax reduction proposal,” Argall said.