Proposed Allegheny County property tax increase opposed by some councilmembers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Homeowners flooded Allegheny County Council offices with calls on Wednesday, complaining about a plan for a major property tax hike. Some councilmembers say they just can’t support an increase as large as the county executive wants.

Since the budget announcement Tuesday, county councilmembers say they have gotten an earful from their constituents and say they’ve heard enough: the 46% property tax increase is dead on arrival.

Citing flat revenues, an end to federal COVID aid and rising costs, Innamorato dropped a bomb.

“So, today we are asking for a 2.2 mill increase,” she said. 

Since then, councilmembers have heard howls from their constituents about an unprecedented 46 percent property tax increase.  

“This is just way outside the bounds of what we could potentially take back to the taxpayers,” said Republican Sam DeMarco. 

Counting heads, Council President Pat Catena says there are already enough votes to kill the increase.

“I know Councilmember Futules is against it, I know Councilman Palmosina is against it,” Catena said. 

“We have to go back to the drawing board and see where cuts can be made. It’s that simple,” he added. 

Innamorato said the hike is needed to meet costs and stave off disaster. The surplus is being deleted and costs are rising, especially for health care at the Kane hospitals and the county jail, where total costs have risen more than $20 million.

“And if we keep on the pace we’re on now, we could completely deplete our reserves in two years, which would be catastrophic for our bond rating and leave us in a precarious situation in the case of an emergency,” Innamorato said. 

But councilmembers say she still wants to fulfill a progressive agenda with spending on things like child care, rental assistance, climate change initiatives and housing for those experiencing homelessness. They want her to sharpen her pencil to reduce some of those costs, noting that one of her first actions in office was to raise the wages of county employees to a minimum of $18 an hour.

“Last night we saw where that money is going to come from. She intends to take it from the taxpayers,” DeMarco said. 

Controller Corey O’Connor says the administration needs to do more to produce other revenue by fostering economic development.

“The frustrating part for all of us should be is there’s no vision for growth, development, bringing in jobs. Because all of that, you’re not going to tax your way out of decline,” O’Connor said. 

Over the next few weeks, councilmembers say they’ll be going over this budget with a fine-tooth comb, making all the necessary cuts to bring this tax increase down to size.