Bill Text: PA SB704 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Further providing for board membership, for chairman's authority and duties, and for quorum and hearings.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 10-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-06-14 - Referred to FINANCE [SB704 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SB704-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 685
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 704 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, YAW, PILEGGI, ARGALL, BROWNE, FERLO, FOLMER, HUGHES, McILHINNEY, MENSCH, ORIE AND RAFFERTY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011
REFERRED TO FINANCE, FEBRUARY 25, 2011
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 27, 1947 (P.L.1046, No.447), entitled,
as amended, "An act providing for equalization of assessed
valuations of real property throughout the Commonwealth for
use in determining the amount and allocation of Commonwealth
subsidies to school districts; providing for the establishing
of a common level ratio for each county; creating a State Tax
Equalization Board; and prescribing its powers and duties;
imposing duties on certain local officers, agents, boards,
commissions and departments; and making an appropriation,"
further providing for board membership, for chairman's
authority and duties, and for quorum and hearings.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2 of the act of June 27, 1947 (P.L.1046,
No.447), referred to as the State Tax Equalization Board Law,
amended January 14, 1952 (1951 P.L.1909, No.525), is amended to
read:
Section 2. Appointment of Board; Compensation.--
(a) The board shall consist of [three] five members, three
of whom shall be public members, who shall be citizens of the
United States, residents of Pennsylvania and qualified electors
for a period of at least one (1) year next preceding their
appointments. Each appointee shall be familiar by training or
experience with the problems involved in the work of the board.
(b) The public members of the board shall be appointed by
the Governor for terms of four (4) years each, or until their
successors shall be duly appointed and shall have qualified. Any
vacancy occurring shall be filled by appointment of the Governor
for the unexpired term. Each member of the board shall devote
his entire time to the duties of his office. A member of the
board may, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, be
removed for cause by the Governor.
(c) The chairman of the board shall receive an annual salary
of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000), and each other public
member thereof shall receive an annual salary of eleven thousand
dollars ($11,000).
(d) In addition to the public members, the board shall
consist of the Secretary of Education or his designee and the
Secretary of Revenue or his designee.
Section 2. Sections 3 and 4 of the act are amended to read:
Section 3. Chairman; Authority and Duties.--The Governor
shall designate one of the public members as chairman. The
chairman shall be in charge of the administration of the board,
and the transaction of its routine business, and shall execute
the orders and policies of the board. In the absence of the
chairman, the member designated by him shall perform his duties
and, while so doing, shall have the authority of chairman.
Section 4. Quorum.--[Two (2)] Three members of the board
shall constitute a quorum. A quorum, voting unanimously, shall
be sufficient to exercise all the rights and perform all the
duties of the board.
Section 3. Section 16.1 of the act, added December 13, 1982
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(P.L.1158, No.267), is amended to read:
Section 16.1. Establishment of a Common Level Ratio.--(a)
The State Tax Equalization Board shall, annually, prior to July
1, establish for each county a common level ratio for the prior
calendar year.
(b) In arriving at such ratio, the board shall use
statistically acceptable techniques, including sales ratio
studies. The board's method in arriving at the ratio shall be
made available to the public. The ratio shall be certified to
the chief assessor of each county and it shall be admissible as
evidence in any appeal involving real property tax assessments.
(c) Any political subdivision, school district or taxpayer
aggrieved by any finding, conclusion or any method or technique
of the board made pursuant to this section may, in writing,
state objections thereto and may appeal de novo such ratio
determination to the Commonwealth Court. After receiving any
objections, the board [may] shall grant a hearing and may modify
or adjust its findings and computations as it shall appear
proper.
(d) If the common level ratio increases or decreases by ten
percent or more, the board shall immediately review its findings
prior to certification of the ratio.
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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