Resolution 130099

..Title Authorizing City Council's Committee of the Whole to hold public hearings on the procedures that the City currently employs and proposes to employ based on accepted best practices to collect the delinquent real estate taxes owed the City and School District of Philadelphia. ..Body WHEREAS, It is essential that Philadelphians have faith and trust in the fairness of the City's tax collection processes and procedures; and WHEREAS, This trust can exist only if it is clear that the City diligently, comprehensively, and in a timely manner pursues and collects the taxes that are due it; and WHEREAS, For decades, Philadelphia has been ranked amongst the worst performing large cities in America for our efforts in collecting delinquent real estate taxes and in 2011 was ranked 24th out of 25 in poor collection results; and WHEREAS, The amounts released of cumulative delinquent real estate taxes owed to the City is inconsistent, but all accounts have put them into the hundreds of millions of dollars; and WHEREAS, In 2008, The Revenue Department commissioned a survey of "Best Practices" used by 25 large cities across the United States in an effort to understand other methodologies and tactics that could be employed to increase our success of collecting delinquent real estate taxes; and WHEREAS, On February 23, 2010, City Council held a hearing on the matter of delinquent real estate taxes pursuant to Resolution 090894, and it is now appropriate time to obtain a comprehensive update on the measures discussed and implemented as a result of the hearing; and WHEREAS, In anticipation of the forthcoming proposed Operating Budget for FY 2014 and the City's move to property assessments based on actual value, it is critically important for City Council and the public to clearly understand the tax collection procedures that are currently in place; and WHEREAS, It is equally important to identify and explain to City Council and the public the details of any plans to change and improve upon the current procedures including clearly identifying additional measures including technology, staff, training and legislation that would achieve that goal; now therefore RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes City Council's Committee of the Whole to hold public hearings on the procedures that the City currently employs and proposes to employ based on accepted best practices to collect the delinquent real estate taxes owed the City and School District of Philadelphia. ..End David Oh Councilman-At-Large February 7, 2013