State Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, will host a property tax forum at the Bristol Borough Municipal Building, 250 Pond St., Bristol, at 7 p.m. Monday, July 29.
Galloway has been a long time sponsor of House Bill 76, commonly known as the Property Tax Independence Act.
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“This proposal is not just another property tax relief measure,” Galloway said. “Rather, it is about replacing an unfair and inequitable system of education funding with one that is a reflection of our twenty-first century economic reality. House Bill 76 will eliminate all school property taxes across the Commonwealth and will replace those taxes with funding from the Personal Income Tax and the Sales & Use Tax.
“I’ve received a number of inquiries about the legislation and scheduled this information session to give residents an opportunity to learn about the bill.
“Senator Tommy Tomlinson is also scheduled to attend.”
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Galloway is inviting elected officials from the borough and school district, members of the borough’s Economic Development Committee and private citizens to attend.
Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said, “When John contacted me I thought this was a great opportunity for people to get a first-hand explanation of the legislation from the local representatives who are sponsoring it. I have an open mind regarding the plan.”
“From the moment I was elected this was as issue I wanted to take on. I believe in the concept of the current bill,” Galloway said, pointing out like with many other pieces of legislation negotiations often bring changes before actual voting takes place.
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There is an inequity in the current system. Bristol Borough and Morrisville, for example are paying more in school property taxes then other school districts like Council Rock he said. That needs to change for my constituents and residents of the commonwealth, a level playing field is what the citizens deserve, said Galloway.
In addition to this forum, Galloway, recognizing a one hour exchange might not answer all the questions residents of the district might have, has agreed to participate in a online forum exclusively organized by LevittowNow.com.
I know many people have questions, he said, and I want to offer a second opportunity for constituents who might not be able to attend Monday’s forum, he said.
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The date and details for the online forum will be made public in the coming days soon.
Lastly Galloway added “I’ve sponsored this legislation because I believe it is right for my district and for all of Pennsylvania. Once people understand the bill’s intent, they tend to get on board.”
This story will be updated later today.
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