Critical county services for the LGBTQIA+ community and the most vulnerable members of society are under threat due to a budget crisis. County property taxes haven’t been raised in over 10 years, while operating expenses have increased, leading to budget deficits since 2021. In the coming days, the County Council has a choice on who pays for years of inaction: property owners accepting a median $15 per month increase or marginalized populations taking dramatic cuts in housing, food assistance, and social support. LGBTQ+ organizations like TransYouniting, Proud Haven, and Hugh Lane face losses of up to 80% of their government revenue stream starting January 20 if the 2.2 mil increase is not accepted, jeopardizing their future. I urge you to contact your county council member to advocate for a 2.2 mil increase.
The last property tax increase was over 10 years ago, following a county-wide property reassessment, so the county is still taxing people on 2010 values. Similarly, since the reassessment, the millage (tax per $1,000 value) has not been updated. The County started to run a deficit in 2021. But rather than re-assess or raise taxes, the former County Executive used COVID relief dollars to plug the deficit so that in 2024, Allegheny County ran at an operating loss of $81 million before accounting for the relief and other funds.
Now, two things are different for 2025: for one, we no longer have the COVID relief money, and two, we have a new County Executive, Sara Innamorato, responsible for balancing next year’s budget. Her office has proposed a 2.2 mil increase to bring operations out of the red, translating to about $15 per month on the median 2010 value of a house, which you can find for your home here. However, in an environment where everyone is stressed to the limits by inflation and rising prices, this has proven so far to be too much for the County Council, which needs a 10-vote supermajority out of 15 to pass a property tax increase. There is a counter-proposal to increase taxes 1.35 mil, which would dramatically cut important County services and forfeit matching dollars from the state budget, heavily disinvesting from our communities.
County taxes will increase next year, likely between 1.35 and 2.2 mils. If County Council chooses a figure closer to 1.35 mils, many services will be cut. Rather than saving money by keeping taxes low, I argue that this will be a net cost to the taxpayer that will lower the quality of life in Allegheny County. Services that are slated to be cut include emergency dispatchers (9-1-1), police, park rangers, county parks and pools, and social services– this may also mean up to 1,000 laid-off people. Targeted cuts also include funding to keep people in their homes and for emergency shelter– in particular, it likely takes away housing resources from children, disabled people, and seniors. It may also cut behavioral health resources not covered by Medicaid. It may also defund food pantries and programs that help low-income and marginalized communities.
We already have a housing crisis in Allegheny County, and multiple marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ community, face challenges with housing instability. Without the human services money coming from the County and the matching money coming from the State, which can be as high as $4 State per $1 County, agencies such as TransYouniting, Proud Haven, Hugh Lane, and others will not all be able to maintain their current staff and services, increasing the strain on the community. Moreover, with all similar agencies simultaneously facing defunding as of January 20, the County may see a collapse in services during the coldest winter months. Despite the hardship that 2.2 mils puts on the tax-payer, I argue that going with 1.35 mils places both heavier short and long-term costs on the entire county.
There are things you can do to help yourself and others.
Contact your County Council Person – tell them, “I support the 2.2 mil county tax increase and the full funding of human services in 2025”. You can give them a specific reason why. You can also suggest annual incremental changes or a full county reassessment.
On this link there is an interactive county council map, click on where you live, click on the blue link “County Council District X”, then on the new page click the green “Contact” button, finally fill out the form and submit.
Sign up to Speak at the County Council Meeting on Tuesday, December 3, at 5 pm at the County Courthouse.
Apply for all applicable Exemptions, Discounts and Rebates
If you live in your own home, make sure you fill out the Homestead Exemption. This makes the first 18k of your home-value tax-free. Also, the same budget that increases county tax to 2.2 mils proposes increasing this to 21k tax-free.
- Senior Citizen Tax Relief
- State Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
- Check what your home’s property tax increase would be at 2.2 mil.
A lot of us in the LGBTQIA community are terrified going into 2025. We face an existential threat in the Federal Government. The way we start fighting back is to take control at the local level and insist that our tax dollars fund our lives and well-being. To that end, we need to attend public meetings to make our voices heard. Early next year, we will run for office: School Board, Township Council, or even County Council or Judge. Making sure that your community is taken care of is the first way we fight back.
