Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration formally certified that a record $900 million will be available for statewide property tax relief through the Department of Education and local school districts. As is required by Act 1 of 2006, Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson certified that this record amount of relief is sustainable for at least the next five years – and local districts will be required to pass this funding on to local taxpayers.

 

For the past several years, the Property Tax Relief Fund has been robust enough to provide $750 million in statewide property tax relief. However, thanks to strong revenues and conservative projections from the Office of the Budget, the Shapiro Administration is able to make available a historic amount of state funding for property tax relief. Today’s announcement means that an additional $150 million will be available per year, for each of the next 5 years to help cut taxes and lower costs for Pennsylvanians.

 

In accordance with Act 1 of 2006, school districts are required to pass 100 percent of this funding on to its taxpayers. Often, that is done by increasing the homestead exemption, which lowers property taxes by reducing the taxable assessed value of the home. For example, if a home is assessed at $50,000 and the homestead exclusion is $5,000, then the homeowner only pays taxes on an assessed value of $45,000. School districts often use the funding announced by the Shapiro Administration today to increase the homestead exclusion, which in effect, means homeowners have a smaller tax burden and are required to pay less in property taxes.

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will notify each school district of its property tax reduction allocation no later than May 1, 2024, which will allow every school district to reduce the property tax burden on its citizens. The amount allocated to each school district will be available at education.pa.gov at that time.

 

“As I’ve traveled across Pennsylvania, I’ve heard from so many homeowners who are struggling with the burden of high property taxes – and that’s why I’ve been focused on cutting costs and delivering real relief for them,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Thanks to our smart, sound fiscal management, we are providing a record amount of property tax relief to millions of homeowners all across our Commonwealth, and I will continue working to bring people together in Harrisburg to cut costs and keep putting more money back in Pennsylvanians’ pockets.”

 

In addition to $900 million for statewide property tax relief, the Shapiro Administration also certified that $175.6 million is available to support the historic expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Last year, Governor Shapiro and legislative leaders in both parties worked together to expand the program and pass the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades.

 

Today’s announcement builds on the Shapiro Administration’s strong record of sound fiscal management and work to cut costs and lower taxes for Pennsylvanians. Thanks in part to those policies, all three major credit rating agencies affirmed the Commonwealth’s responsible budgetary management. In December, Secretary Monson announced that the Commonwealth conducted a successful bond sale of approximately $1.3 billion in new GO Bonds, saving taxpayers nearly $100 million on debt service savings over the life of the bonds – and in January, Secretary Monson released the Commonwealth’s first-ever debt management policy, providing the Commonwealth and the public with predictable, consistent policies.

 

In addition to expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in his first year, Governor Shapiro secured a major expansion of the Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit, helping to make childcare more affordable for over 200,000 Pennsylvania families and increasing the maximum state credit from $630 to $2,100 for Pennsylvania families.

 

In his 2024-25 budget proposal, Governor Shapiro called for further action to deliver real relief for Pennsylvanians, including:

 

• $50 million for the Whole Home Repairs program, to continue to provide direct assistance to homeowners and keep more families in their homes.

 

• $4 million for medical debt relief for low-income Pennsylvanians and calls for healthcare providers to implement transparent practices to limit medical debt from being incurred in the first place.

Photo Credit: Cathy Benscoter / Penn State Beaver. Obtained from Penn State Beaver Website.

(Monaca, Pa) Penn State Beaver has named a new chancellor and chief academic officer of the school. Carey McDougall, who has been serving as the campus’ interim chancellor since July 1, will fulfill the position.

McDougall previously served as the Director of Academic Affairs since 2014.

According to a news release, during her time at Penn State Beaver, McDougall has brought five additional degrees to the campus to align enrollment with industry growth and the changing career interests of prospective students both regionally and nationally. McDougall also designed and ran the campus’ first Campus Advisory Board Academic Excellence Mentoring Program to support students who would benefit from enriched career pathways.

McDougall also serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, and as the chair of the Beaver Borough Planning Commission.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to the riverbank or went over a dam downstream, officials said.

Pittsburgh police, fire and emergency medical services responded around 11:25 p.m. Friday to reports of the barges “floating uncontrolled” down the river, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a statement. The area had been hit by flooding after heavy rains Thursday.

The Sewickley Bridge was struck by a barge a few minutes before 2 p.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. It “was closed in advance of the strike and will remain closed until our crews complete an inspection,” spokesperson Steve Cowan said.

Officials in Moon Township, which is connected by the bridge to the community of Sewickley, earlier said the span would be temporarily closed “due to unmanned barge passing through.”

Eleven of the 26 barges that broke free were quickly contained to one side by another towing vessel just downstream, said Cmdr. Justin Jolley of the Coast Guard marine safety unit in Pittsburgh. Nine others were collected at the Emsworth lock and dam downstream.

Five or six barges went through the dam. Four ended up just downstream at a lock and dam, while another ended up on the bank of the river and was stabilized. Marine safety units were searching for one barge unaccounted for, Jolley said.

Pittsburgh public safety officials reported damage to Peggy’s Harbor, a marina on the river. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the McKees Rocks Bridge was also closed as a precaution but later reopened following inspection.

Twenty-three of the barges were carrying dry cargo, mostly coal, and at least one was loaded with fertilizer, according to the owner, Jolley said. Three were empty. There were no hazardous materials on any of the vessels, the city said.

The Coast Guard put out a broadcast notice to mariners to inform them about the potential hazard, but high water was preventing traffic on the river, Jolley said.

The barges were owned or operated by Campbell Transportation Co., the city’s statement said. Jolley said Coast Guard officials were working with the owner on a salvage plan. Pennsylvania State Police and other agencies were also alerted.

The vulnerability of bridges to strikes from barges and ships came into stark relief last month when a container ship rammed a support of the major Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the span and leading to the deaths or presumptive deaths of six road workers.

FILE – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick shares his plan for combatting adverse Chinese influence on the U.S. economy and security during a speech at the Independence Visitor Center, Dec. 7, 2023, in Philadelphia. Former President Donald Trump endorsed McCormack of Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 13, 2024, urging his supporters in Pennsylvania to “go out and vote for him” in one of the year’s most hotly contested Senate races. (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)

Former President Donald Trump is endorsing U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick of Pennsylvania. Trump spoke during a rally in the eastern Pennsylvania town of Schnecksville on Saturday and urged his supporters in the state to vote for McCormick in one of the year’s most hotly contested Senate races. Trump’s endorsement came two years after he successfully helped sink McCormick in Pennsylvania’s Senate GOP primary, creating an awkward dynamic between the two men. McCormick didn’t attend the rally. McCormick responded on social media, saying: “Thank you, President Trump! Together we will deliver a big win for Pennsylvania and America in November.” McCormick is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.