So you're saying that you don't have a fairly -- you don't have a fair market value of the 73 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. properties that exist in the City of Philadelphia? I'm not talking about software platform.
Right. Well, one of the things that has to be understood why we put in the request and Council was so gracious to allow us to be funded for this system is that with the system as it existed, our evaluators were valuing property basically about every three years, even though it should be done annually, because we just didn't have the staff to do it on a year-by-year basis. So that's why I'm saying yes, we were responsible for doing that, but we needed a mass appraisal system to allow us to do it on a yearly basis. In preparing for this mass appraisal system, we're just about at the point where we have that information now, yes.
Every single property has a value in the BRT that people are currently paying taxes on --
-- that is currently the fair market value of that property as far as the BRT is concerned. So back to Councilman Clarke's question, I'm not sure I understand why a software platform is relevant with respect to state law, which requires that you assess properties at their actual fair market value today. Why are you waiting to act and fulfill your obligation under state law?
Well, it's not a matter of just sitting idly and waiting. It's a matter of having the number of people that you need on staff in order to be able to do it annually. That's why in most jurisdictions in order to accomplish the goal of having the annual assessments, you need a computerized mass appraisal system to assist the assessors in doing their job. That allows you to do the 567,000 accounts in the City on a yearly basis.
How many 75 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. assessments were done last year?
Eighteen thousand. How many assessment were done the year before?
Something like 400,000. So we are in financial trouble in our Five-Year Plan in part because your assessors went from 400,000 assessments to 18,000 and because you have failed to follow your state-mandated requirement of being at full value.
With all due respect, Councilman Green, we're correcting the deficiencies that we have now, but at any time during the 16-year period, Council could have changed the millage rate if you wanted to increase taxes. It's not our job to increase 76 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. taxes. It's our job to set the values. And what we're doing now is --
That's exactly right. Thank you for clearing that up, because that finally answers Councilman Clarke's question. Please do your job and set it at fair market value, and then we will do our job. That's the way it works, not the opposite. We don't set millage prior to knowing what the total assessed value that we're going to have our tax base off of. When you do your job, we'll do ours, but please --
And I as a member of the Board of Revision of Taxes never said you did, Councilman.
And we're doing our job. And, Councilman Clarke, may I just say, if I failed to answer your question, then I apologize. My intent 77 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. was to answer your question exactly and fully.
I think you could have -- and for the record, Ms. Meade is a long-time friend, constituent. I thought you could have answered the question more clearly, because from my perspective -- and I don't want to tell you what you should have said, but I'm going to tell you what you probably should have said, is that your ability to accurately implement the full value system requires you to be able to do an appraisal of the entire City all at once, because you can't implement a system that will, as we currently do, 15, thousand appraisals a year, and you'll 20 have portions of the City paying full value and other portions not paying full value. So you need to be in a position you can do an appraisal in the entire City in one year and then you implement full value after you had the ability to 78 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. do that.
We have testified previously in terms of the need for the computerized mass appraisal system to assist the assessors and the Board of Revision of Taxes in being able to do our mandated job of assessing values for the City on an annual basis. And that's our goal and our mission.
Just one 79 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. quick point, Madam Chair.
Thank you. I guess what I'm suggesting is perhaps what we have at the BRT is a -- and I'm not singling you out in this. I'm talking about the way it is run is a management problem and not a sort of lack of revenue or lack of assessment problem in terms of how things go, and I think we need to look at perhaps the way management works at the BRT so that someone that reports to this body can be accountable for their actions, someone perhaps having the Administration appoint members of the BRT or some other method so that there is accountability for what happens there to us and to the executive so that we can do proper planning in the future. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. 80 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. Are there any other questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you all very much for coming in. That ends our --
That ends our public hearing. Now we will go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for Bill 090065, and I believe a suspension of rules. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 090065 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and a further recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
All those in favor? 81 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. (Aye.)
Therefore, Bill 090065 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation, with a suspension of rules so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke on 090066.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 090066 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation, with a rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
Opposed? 82 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. (No response.)
Therefore, Bill 090066 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation, with a suspension of rules so as to permit first reading at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Sanchez for Bill 090067.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 13 090067 be moved out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended to allow first reading at our next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
83 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. Therefore, 090067 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and the rules of Council suspended so as to permit first reading at the next session of Council. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode for Bill 090068.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 090068 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
Therefore, Bill 090068 will be reported out of this committee with a favorable 84 2/26/09 - APPROPRIATIONS - BILL 090065, etc. recommendation and the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at the next session of Council. Thank you all very much. That ends our public meeting. (Committee on Appropriations concluded at 10:30 a.m.) - - - 85 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on February 26, 2009, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)