Court of Common Pleas Orders a Countywide Reassessment to be Completed in the Next Five Years, Directs Regular Future Reassessments
PITTSBURGH – Court of Common Pleas Judge Kenneth G. Valasek signed an order today in the case of Flavia E. Laun vs. Allegheny County. The order directs Allegheny County to comply with certain actions pertaining to property reassessments, including the following:
- Allegheny County is required to perform a property reassessment to replace the current 2012 base values. A special master will be appointed to preside over the reassessment.
- Allegheny County is required to start the reassessment by 2027 and complete it within five years.
- After implementation of this ordered reassessment to replace 2012 base values, Judge Valasek further directed regular countywide reassessments to occur every five years.
In reaction to the order, County Executive Sara Innamorato said:
“In an ideal world, Pennsylvania would join other states and require regular reassessments statewide, rather than leaving individual counties to navigate this issue on their own. Allegheny County’s largest nonprofits should pay their fair share, and counties should have access to alternative revenue options that ensure those who have benefited most from our region’s growth fairly contribute to the services and infrastructure that make that growth possible.
While we are still working within an imperfect system, Allegheny County understands today’s court order and will comply in a professional manner with the direction to conduct a countywide reassessment within the next five years and every five years thereafter. Protecting taxpayers will remain a top priority throughout this process. With the assistance of County Council, we have already delivered the county’s first-ever longtime owner-occupant protection program.
As we move forward, we will work with County Council to review and follow recommendations outlined in the Government Review Commission’s report released last week. Those recommendations emphasize strong oversight, clear public communication and education, and close coordination with municipalities and school districts. Our goal is to create a lasting, transparent, and accessible reassessment system that puts the residents of Allegheny County first.
Regular countywide reassessments will be an improvement over the current ad hoc approach. Property owners deserve transparency about how their property is valued, while school districts and municipalities deserve predictability as they plan their budgets.”
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