Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner told reporters Thursday the county property tax rate needs to be further reduced and that county residents will be overpaying on their taxes this year if it is not lowered.
Over the last two weeks, the Controller’s office has been analyzing data looking at how the county has set its millage rate and how tax bills are going to affect county residents.
“Our analysis leads us to believe that the county will overcharge residents by as much as 30 to 38 million [dollars]; which is on average, if you take a hundred thousand dollar home in the county, that’s an overcharge of about $50 in 2013,” said Wagner.
Wagner is urging immediate action by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and County Council. Fitzgerald was not immediately available for comment.
County Council reduced the millage rate last month from 5.69 to 4.73. Wagner said the action was taken using preliminary numbers and she doesn’t understand why the county didn’t reduce the millage rate further the way the City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Public Schools have.
