Gov. Corbett Doubts State Will Solve Reassessment Mess
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Governor Tom Corbett is trying to lower expectations that Harrisburg will do anything about the reassessment problem in Allegheny County.
On KDKA Radio this morning, the governor, whose home in Shaler will be reassessed, said the legislature is not really interested in this issue.
Last week, local legislators were emphatic that Harrisburg had to stop judges from ordering reassessments for one county while other counties escaped.
"People didn't put judges in to make the laws. They put us in," said State Rep. Dom Costa, D-Morningside.
"It's another case of judicial activism and something we need to put an end to, and hopefully we'll have a chance to do so this coming session," added State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry.
"It could be in any county. One judge could make a difference, and we really need a moratorium on assessments," said State Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Big Beaver.
"Day one, first act, we do a moratorium on any court-ordered assessment, stop it in its tracks, and then work on a system that's fair statewide," added State Rep. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon.
But this morning on KDKA Radio, Corbett threw cold water on a quick state solution to the reassessment mess.
"It's really a local problem. People don't like to hear that," said the governor.
Corbett even suggested the legislature would not act against the courts.
"Here's the problem. We do have three separate branches of government, and it's pretty hard for the legislature even to ban an order from the courts," Corbett stated.
But the governor did leave an opening for some action.
"Do I believe that we need to take a look at this statewide and do it and come up with some assessment parameters? Yeah, I do believe we need to do that and some time frames," said Corbett.
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