Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Clarke wants to extend deadline for property-tax relief

Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke introduced an ordinance Thursday that would give property owners an extra month to apply for gentrification relief on their tax bills.

Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke introduced an ordinance Thursday that would give property owners an extra month to apply for gentrification relief on their tax bills.

The city's Office of Property Assessment on Dec. 2 will roll out its Longtime Owner Occupied Program (LOOP), which is designed to help those who have lived in their homes for more than 10 years and whose assessments tripled this year when property tax changes was implemented. City officials estimate that between 15,000 to 20,000 could benefit from LOOP.

Clarke's ordinance would push the deadline from Jan. 15 to Feb. 17. He wants to give ample time for homeowners to apply for the new program, given the difficulty this year in getting homeowners - especially those in poor areas - to apply for the homestead exemption, another tax-relief program.

"I want to make sure that does not happen with the gentrification relief," Clarke said.

The homestead exemption deducts $30,000 from the assessment of an owner-occupied home before the tax rate is applied. A home worth $100,000 would be taxed on only $70,000 of its value.

Through the end of September, 224,448 of an estimated 320,000 to 340,000 homeowners had been approved; 24,000 had been denied. Final numbers are not yet available, said Mark McDonald, the mayor's spokesman.

The city is still waiting for the state Senate to approve a bill that would allow the city to use a homeowner's income to determine whether someone can get gentrification relief.

The city has budgeted $20 million for gentrification relief whether the homeowner's income becomes a criteria or not, said Marisa Waxman, the deputy chief revenue collections officer.

The city has generated a list of homeowners who would qualify for gentrification relief, based on property assessments and length of ownership. Those who qualify will be notified by mail.

In other action Thursday, Councilman Dennis O'Brien introduced two ordinances that would give Council a say and oversight over any law firm hired to handle cases in which the Defender Association of Philadelphia has a conflict. The city is working to replace the current process of having a judge appoint attorneys from a preapproved list to selecting one firm to handle all conflict cases.

One ordinance introduced by O'Brien would amend the Home Rule Charter and require Council to approve contracts of one year or less that provide legal representation and related services for indigent defendants. The change in the charter would require approval from voters.

The other seeks to require the Nutter administration to submit to Council a performance and financial audit report by a third party on the firm that receives a contract to represent indigent defendants.

215-854-5520 @inqvargas