Nearly 200 speak at Allegheny County council in support of proposed tax increase to fund programs

A large group of residents, community group leaders, and service providers filled Allegheny County Council chambers Tuesday night to speak in support of a proposed tax increase to fund county government.

TribLive newspartner WTAE reports that about 200 people spoke Tuesday night during the council meeting, nearly all in support of Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposed $3.1 billion budget, which includes a 46.5% property tax increase, which will have a shortfall of more than $100 million if the revenue disparity is not addressed.

The proposed rate hike from 4.73 mills to 6.93 mills, coupled with a boost in the homestead exemption, would increase annual property taxes by roughly $182 — or about $15 more a month — on a house assessed at the county’s median value of $110,400.

The proposal has received immediate push back from council members, but speakers Tuesday evening said the increase is necessary to keep vital programs running, mostly those funded by the county’s Department of Human Services.

Wendy Etheridge Smith of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit said the funding is needed, or thousands of people in the county will go without assistance, according to WTAE. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is a regional public education agency that provides specialized services to suburban school districts. The unit receives $3.25 million from the county annually.

“We’re talking about 4,600 people who are able to access essential things like food and clothing, diapers, formula,” said Smith. “We’re talking about them being able to take parenting classes so that their children will be able to go to school and be ready for school. We’re talking about accessing mental health resources.”

Innamorato has also defended her budget and has said it is more important to fully fund county government to support economic growth and essential services than to make large cuts to avoid a tax increase.

County Council president Pat Catena, D-Carnegie, has bristled at the rate of the proposed tax increase. He has acknowledged a tax increase will happen, but said the rate should be reduced.

County Councilor Dan Grzybek, D-Bethel Park, told WTAE that Tuesday’s public comment was helpful, but it will still be difficult to get the 10 out of 15 votes needed to pass.

“I think we probably don’t have the ten votes that we need. We need a two-thirds supermajority. So I’m definitely going to be pushing to make sure that we are preserving as many of these DHS programs as possible,” Grzybek said. “I don’t know that we’re going to be able to get that 2.2 (property tax millage increase). I would guess no.”