Council Votes to Axe Tax Board, Create New Office to Set Property Values Amid Major Overhaul

Official:Amending Title 2 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "City-County Consolidation," by abolishing the Board of Revision of Taxes, by creating an Office of Property Assessment which shall have the powers, functions and duties of the Board of Revision of Taxes with respect to the initial making of property assessments; by assigning certain duties to the Department of Records (as the successor to the Recorder of Deeds) with respect to filing certain information with the new Office of Property Assessment; by creating a new Board of Property Assessment Appeals ("Board"), which shall have the powers, functions and duties of the Board of Revision of Taxes with respect to appeals from property assessments; and by creating a Board of Property Assessment Appeals Nominating Panel to nominate candidates for appointment to the Board; and providing for submission of such amendment for the approval or disapproval of the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia; fixing the date of a special election for such purpose; prescribing the form of ballot question to be voted on; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election; all under certain terms and conditions.