Pennsylvania
Related: About this forumI finally found a sample ballot. Now.... about that Constitutional Question?
It won't let me copy and paste. Questions:
1. Who knew there was a constitutional question!?!
2. WTF does it mean?
This state does a damned piss-poor job of informing voters. I searched for quite awhile before finding a sample ballot. No wonder people don't vote, or if they do, they don't have a clue what they are voting for. I'm retired so I can spend time doing research, but I'll bet very few voters bother.
appleannie1943
(1,303 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)I found it through my county website but can't post it without giving away my precinct.
I think I started with votepa.com or something like that? I did A LOT of searching.
EDIT: I found this link: https://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/18583
Yonnie3
(17,376 posts)There is a link to the amendment at this link.
https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania_2017_ballot_measures
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)It gives it in actual legal language (as it appears on the ballot), plus an explanation in plainer language.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)The Pennsylvania Allow Local Taxing Authorities to Exempt Full Value of Homestead Amendment is on the ballot in Pennsylvania as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 7, 2017.[1][2]
A "yes" vote supports this amendment to allow the state legislature to increase the amount of a home's assessed value that local taxing authorities―counties, municipalities, and school districts―are permitted to exempt from taxes. The amount would increase from up to 50 percent of the median value of all homesteads within their jurisdictions to up to 100 percent of the assessed value of each homestead.
A "no" vote opposes this amendment to allow the legislature to permit local taxing authorities to exempt up to 100 percent of the assessed value of each homestead from taxes. Voting "no" would keep the amount that local taxing authorities are permitted to exempt at up to 50 percent of the median value of all homesteads within their jurisdictions.
More info at your link. (Ballotpedia)
Yonnie3
(17,376 posts)Ballotpedia doesn't seem to like direct links. Glad we finally got there. Unfortunately I don't know much about homestead exemptions, so I'm reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_exemption
mahatmakanejeeves
(56,883 posts)I'm just guessing.
livetohike
(22,084 posts)population of Seniors, the impact to the tax base would be devastating. Therefore services would have to be cut. Seniors of a lower income receive a property tax rebate. My Mom uses it to pay part of her school taxes. If this would disappear, she would have to come up with the full amount.
Ive read the proposition twice and am still unclear if this affects property and school taxes, or just property taxes .
appleannie1943
(1,303 posts)Instead, they tend to word ballot issues in such a way as to confuse people into voting for something that helps big brother instead of themselves.
appleannie1943
(1,303 posts)We won't be able to tell them since we don't have a clue either.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)You would need an attorney in the polling place to explain it!
I found this opinion piece on ballotpedia:
This link has a ton of information: https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania_Allow_Local_Taxing_Authorities_to_Exempt_Full_Value_of_Homestead_Amendment_(2017)
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)I'm voting NO because I think it's a stealth way to defund public schools.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)I felt that it would be a surprise to many voters and upon first reading (at the polling place), it would seem confusing. I had to read it several times to understand it.
Yes, it would defund public schools and since the revenue has to come from somewhere, either state income tax or sales tax, or both, would have to increase.
I have spent way too much time on this today and not many people have that luxury, I fear.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)There's already a law that allows local taxing authorities to forgive up to the 1/2 the median (avg) value of all homes in the tax area to homeowners. I've never heard of that ever being done and I had a neighbor on a fixed income who had little to nothing left over at the end of the month.
I know there are/have been proposals floating around the legislature to eliminate property taxes for a few years now that haven't gone anywhere. I'm just going with the theory that if they can't pass a bill, this question is a good workaround.
meow2u3
(24,743 posts)It's a Trojan horse which tilts the property tax code in favor of homeowners. What will end up happening is very likely a massive property tax hike on businesses and landlords, causing tenants' rents to skyrocket to offset the tax-free status of homeowners.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)I did and posted it on FB and Twitter!