BRT employee challenges Nutter plan for agency

A Democratic ward leader employed by the Board of Revision of Taxes is challenging the Nutter administration's bid to push BRT employees onto the city payroll and prohibit their continued involvement in politics.

But it appears that the effort will ultimately rise or fall with a public referendum on the future of the tax-assessment agency, scheduled for the primary election May 18.

The BRT sets property-tax levels for every property in the city, theoretically based on market values. Until last year, it was run by an independent board, appointed by city judges.

But after reports in the Inquirer last year documenting widespread mismanagement and wildly inaccurate assessments, the board agreed in December to transfer its authority to the Nutter administration.

In May, voters will face a proposed change in the city charter to abolish the agency and replace it with two new ones - an Office of Property Assessment, reporting indirectly to the mayor, and a property-tax-appeals board, appointed by the mayor and approved by City Council.

But things are moving too fast for some of the BRT's longtime employees, who've been told they'll have to take civil-service exams and give up political activity to hold onto their jobs.

Donna Aument, who leads the Democratic organization in the 33rd Ward, encompassing parts of Kensington and Juniata Park, filed suit in Common Pleas Court this week trying to block the city from transferring BRT employees from the school district payroll to the city's.

Besides undermining their continued involvement in politics, Aument said, the shift will jeopardize their pensions and health insurance, and may force a partially disabled former police officer, Ed Blizzard, to choose between his disability pension and his job.

Her attorney, Samuel C. Stretton, sought a temporary restraining order yesterday from Judge Gary F. DiVito. Stretton argued that the city's moves are premature and illegal, unless and until the public votes to abolish the BRT in the May referendum.

DiVito postponed a decision, giving the city's attorney, Suzanne Reilly, six days to file a written response.

Reilly told reporters that the city personnel department is still working on related issues and that the timetable for the shift remains uncertain.

"We're gearing up to get it done," Reilly said. "None of these things are yet written in stone."

Later, the BRT's interim executive director, Richard Negrin, told reporters that none of the BRT employees would be impacted until after the May 18 referendum.