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City Council

Council Debates Pros and Cons of the Longtime Owner Occupant Tax Exemption Program (LOOP), Details, and Timing.

Under a proposed program, eligible longtime homeowners whose taxes rose 50% after reassessment would pay only 25% more. For now, council is holding the bill until a public hearing, which isn't scheduled yet. One member worried about unknown financial effects while reassessment isn't imminent. But two others said passing it now could reassure older homeowners afraid of future tax increases.

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Property reassessment and tax relief

City Council

Council considering property tax exemptions for longtime residents.

Rising values in redeveloping areas can mean higher property taxes for longtime homeowners. Now, the mayor has sent council a plan letting some defer or be exempt from those increases. It aims to keep low-income residents from being taxed out of their homes. Owners generally need at least 10 years of ownership and residency, among other rules.

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Property reassessment and tax relief

City Council

Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh to Receive $2 Million for Professional Services Relating to Eviction Prevention.

Tenants at risk of eviction can get landlord mediation and, if a case is filed, legal representation. Now, the Urban Redevelopment Authority is set to receive $2 million for those services. Last year, council let 20% of the Stop the Violence Fund go to tenant protection. To qualify, tenants must earn at or below 80% of the area median income.

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Where the Stop the Violence money goes

City Council

Budget Planning Hearings Held for Every Major City Department.

Some city ambulances have broken down on the way to calls or with patients inside. In budget hearings with every major department, council heard that underinvestment in vehicles is driving up maintenance costs. The city's $665 million operating budget is $31 million smaller after tax shortfalls from appealed downtown assessments. Even so, it's balanced.

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Pittsburgh's yearly budget fightsPittsburgh's broken-down vehicle fleet