Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey delivers remarks at event aimed at curbing youth violence

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Higherho

What section of the city are you living in? Or the tax value of your home? I ask as my peers are paying close to 7 to 10k a year in property taxes, then you get EIT on top of that. More and more people will flee to the suburbs at this rate. Well I guess except the people who can afford it. Granted, I am like you, I don’t mind paying the taxes, I simply would not say our property taxes are not high, you do pay a lot of tax to live in the city versus around it.

I do agree with our other taxes and I think anything that tourism hits would be good to tax, that way the burden isn’t entirely on city residents. Of course, I worry what happens after the federal funds run dry and the budget isn’t balanced anymore (comp controller has been hinting at this for a while). Plus we still don’t know the full outcome of the property tax cases going on in the courts right now.

$22,100. With the homestead exemption applied we pay next to nothing. Granted the real market value of our home currently is about thrice that amount, so we would go from paying next to nothing to "cheap" if the county ever actually did a FULL reassessment countywide (which I am in favor of).

Yes, the EIT is higher than the suburbs. I also feel like we get decent municipal services for that. The primary streets near me are always plowed/salted in a timely manner. Our refuse workers will take anything and everything we put out (within reason), including bulk items, as long as they aren't on the exclusion list like TV's, tires, etc. We have a well-staffed fire department. Our EMT's/paramedics are a little shorthanded but are great. Our police are moderately shorthanded but are generally great and quick to respond to emergent situations. If I collect litter and tie up my filled contractor trash bags and place them beside a city trash can then Public Works will pick them up for me.

Originally Posted by erieguy

Why wait for a new tax to vote on. Why not donate all your disposable income to things that will make the city better?

It's not my job to unilaterally donate all of my disposable income to the city. I would be willing to pay higher taxes as part of a group effort with ALL property owners voting on and agreeing upon a self-imposed property tax increase to get this city tilted upright again. Why should I be the only one to help bail out the city in what should be a team effort?

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

It's not my job to unilaterally donate all of my disposable income to the city. I would be willing to pay higher taxes as part of a group effort with ALL property owners voting on and agreeing upon a self-imposed property tax increase to get this city tilted upright again. Why should I be the only one to help bail out the city in what should be a team effort?

So because you support more taxes because your taxes are “next to nothing”, you expect others to do the same while there’s aren’t next to nothing, versus donating your disposable income to make the area better as you desire.

You’re the one clamoring for it. Why not put your money where your mouth is and make it better with your own disposable income versus expecting others to do what you want them to do?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by erieguy

So because you support more taxes because your taxes are “next to nothing”, you expect others to do the same while there’s aren’t next to nothing, versus donating your disposable income to make the area better as you desire.

You’re the one clamoring for it. Why not put your money where your mouth is and make it better with your own disposable income versus expecting others to do what you want them to do?

Ideally a countywide reassessment of ALL taxable parcels needs to be completed. This is why there are some people in this city living in homes that are identical to the ones next-door to them yet are paying wildly different tax amounts because taxing bodies elect to instead do a spot-reassessment of homes only when they change hands. There are plenty of people living in Lawrenceville, for example, in rowhomes worth $400,000 yet are paying next to nothing in taxes because their assessed values are WAY outdated vs. newcomers who buy the identical rowhome next-door for $400,000 and who then pay out the nose in taxes vs. their neighbors.

Oh, and generally speaking the ones already paying sky-high city property taxes own large/nice city properties. I live in a tiny 2-BR (technically 1-BR with a captive bedroom with a sloped roof), 1-BA home on a 20' x 100' lot. It is about 1,100-square feet. Of course I should be paying far less in taxes than someone in Squirrel Hill or Shadyside with a home/property 2.5 times the size and also paying far less than someone who owns numerous properties, and, therefore, does not quality for the homestead exemption on those additional income-producing properties.

Technically my county valuation might not even be that far off. A move-in-ready 1-BR/1-BA home across the alley from us that is only a bit smaller than our home with a slightly smaller property just sold for a little over $30,000 because of my neighborhood's abysmal reputation.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Lots of strawman arguments versus simply donating your disposable income to make things better versus wanting others to think like yourself and spend their money how you want them to.

Lots of folks donate money to make things/areas better without expecting others to do the same. Why don’t you do the same?

What are you doing to fix these perceived problems you speak of?

City voters have proven two out of three times here recently, via referendum, that they are willing to vote in favor of a nominal citywide property tax increase as long as those increased taxes are going to benefit a specific cause that they deem worthy (libraries for one and parks for the other). I am still surprised the one for children's' programs did not pass, but then again Pittsburgh also has one of the lowest percentages of households with children in the country.

If someone put a nominal tax increase on the ballot to support pay increases, retention bonuses, etc. for city police I would vote in favor of it. I anticipate it would narrowly pass as long as it was demonstrated that the extra $25/year-$50/year each property owner would be shelling out would have a direct impact upon police staffing, and, hopefully, violent crime reduction.

What am I doing? Nothing. I work 50 hours per week. I help my elderly neighbors. I have a significant other who has been sickly recently. I pick up litter a few days per week. I don't have time additionally to do some sort of canvassing campaign to get a referendum for higher property taxes to fund public safety on the ballot. Additionally I would probably be precluded from doing so since I already work within public safety, as it would be a conflict of interest.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

City voters have proven two out of three times here recently, via referendum, that they are willing to vote in favor of a nominal citywide property tax increase as long as those increased taxes are going to benefit a specific cause that they deem worthy (libraries for one and parks for the other). I am still surprised the one for children's' programs did not pass, but then again Pittsburgh also has one of the lowest percentages of households with children in the country.

If someone put a nominal tax increase on the ballot to support pay increases, retention bonuses, etc. for city police I would vote in favor of it. I anticipate it would narrowly pass as long as it was demonstrated that the extra $25/year-$50/year each property owner would be shelling out would have a direct impact upon police staffing, and, hopefully, violent crime reduction.

What am I doing? Nothing. I work 50 hours per week. I help my elderly neighbors. I have a significant other who has been sickly recently. I pick up litter a few days per week. I don't have time additionally to do some sort of canvassing campaign to get a referendum for higher property taxes to fund public safety on the ballot. Additionally I would probably be precluded from doing so since I already work within public safety, as it would be a conflict of interest.

In other words, you expect others to do what you want them to and will wait around for a proposed tax instead of donating your disposable income to help an area that you say needs more money.

It’s easy and quick enough to write a check for something you believe in. After all, it’s what you expect others to do by wanting taxes raised.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by erieguy

In other words, you expect others to do what you want them to and will wait around for a proposed tax instead of donating your disposable income to help an area that you want to be what you want.

It’s easy enough to write a check for something you believe in, as doing nothing isn’t going get what you want done.

Where do you want me to direct my funds and how much of my funds do you want me to direct towards that entity? Please be specific.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Where do you want me to direct my funds and how much of my funds do you want me to direct towards that entity? Please be specific.

Obviously towherever you feel money is needed. Folks donate to such things all the time without expecting others to.

You continue to tell us how comfortable you live, so you obviously have plenty to donate. Pick a number. It’s a quick and easy way to do something that you think needs done.

[Higherho]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

$22,100. With the homestead exemption applied we pay next to nothing. Granted the real market value of our home currently is about thrice that amount, so we would go from paying next to nothing to "cheap" if the county ever actually did a FULL reassessment countywide (which I am in favor of).

Yes, the EIT is higher than the suburbs. I also feel like we get decent municipal services for that. The primary streets near me are always plowed/salted in a timely manner. Our refuse workers will take anything and everything we put out (within reason), including bulk items, as long as they aren't on the exclusion list like TV's, tires, etc. We have a well-staffed fire department. Our EMT's/paramedics are a little shorthanded but are great. Our police are moderately shorthanded but are generally great and quick to respond to emergent situations. If I collect litter and tie up my filled contractor trash bags and place them beside a city trash can then Public Works will pick them up for me.

I overall agree, I think people forget from time to time the services we do have for a mid size city and actually how good we do have it compared to others. Nothing is never perfect but Pittsburgh does try its best with what it has.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Where do you want me to direct my funds and how much of my funds do you want me to direct towards that entity? Please be specific.

I just happen to be the person in charge of this department. Place $200 a week in a plain white envelope along with a pack of juicy fruit gum and place it inside my screen door every monday morning. I will post it to your account by noon. The city appreciates your help.