Allegheny County residents sound off over proposed tax increase
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The debate over Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato's plan to raise property taxes rages on.
Tax increases aren't usually popular. County Executive Sarah Innamorato's plan to increase property taxes by more than 45% is no exception.
Homeowner Kevin Whitfield thinks the county can find the money to close its budget deficit elsewhere. Resident Nicole Quaderer hopes they can do the same when she first heard about the increase.
"It's a huge increase. I know that. I know there's a great need and it's been a long time coming, but all at one time. That's really kind of painful," Whitfield said.
"I thought about my budgeting and how I was going to have to adjust," Quaderer added.
County Executive Innamorato says without the increase, there would be mass layoffs, including to police as well as what she's calling the decimation of the parks department.
Council members voted this week on an amendment that roughly halves Innamorato's increase.
Sayer: Is [this amendment] more palatable?
Quaderer: Compared to 50? Yeah, but it's still a pretty large increase.
Whitfield: Every little percent hurts.
While most people KDKA-TV spoke with agree that a tax hike is a bad idea, not everyone sees it that way.
Alt-weekly Pittsburgh City Paper news editor Colin Williams says he made the argument to raise taxes in an op-ed this week.
"What I look at most critically here is that there's a potential drop in funding for the Department of Human Services, and those are the folks who are basically keeping, you know, services available for people who are homeless right now," Williams argued.
He says an increase is overdue.
"In the broader perspective, I think this isn't that big of an increase. And I hope folks see the value in the services that the county is providing."
Council's latest budget tweaks increase the amount of monthly property taxes for homeowners by a proposed average of $11 to $12.
Resident Derek Martin offered a more favorable opinion on the proposed tax increase.
"I like parks. I want to help old people. I like to help people in general. So, I personally don't mind. I don't feel like a lot of people think that way, but I don't know."
Whitfield doesn't think people should have to choose between those county services and keeping their taxes low.
"Yeah, we want everything, right? We want to figure out another way to do this, and I don't know what the other way is," Whitfield added.