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Board counsel: Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholds districts’ ability to initiate tax‑assessment appeals
Summary
District counsel reported the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled a district’s policy to initiate appeals of under‑assessed properties is constitutional, reversing a Commonwealth Court ruling in a case involving the Downingtown School District.
Board legal counsel updated trustees on a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision involving school‑district initiated property tax appeals.
Attorney Fitzgerald told the board a condominium owner in Chester County sued Downingtown School District, alleging the district's policy allowing the district to identify and appeal allegedly under‑assessed properties violated the state constitution's uniformity clause. The Commonwealth Court had previously found against the district, but the Supreme Court reversed and held that the district procedure was constitutional.
"The Supreme Court last week said, no. It is constitutional," the attorney reported, adding that the criteria used by the district in that case were found not to be discriminatory and that the ruling allows future districts to continue using similar policies if they adhere to uniformity requirements.
The attorney framed the ruling as useful guidance for Saucon Valley's existing policies that permit the district to initiate appeals of assessments it believes are too low; board members received the report as informational. No formal action or change to district policy was taken during the meeting.
