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2011 Pennsylvania Attorney General Reports and Opinions 1 (2011)

handle is hein.sag/sagpa0011 and id is 1 raw text is: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
HARRISBURG, PA. 17120                          16TH FLOOR
STRAWBERRY SQUARE
HARRISBURG  PA 17120
ATTORNEY GENERAL
(7  7}787-3391
July 7, 2011
The Honorable Tom Corbett
Governor
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Governor Corbett:
You have requested our opinion pursuant to Section 204(a) of the Commonwealth
Attorneys Act, 72 P.S. 732-204(a), regarding the constitutionality of House Bill No.
1696, which has been passed by both houses of the General Assembly and presented to
you for approval or veto. Upon careful review, and after consulting with the Office of
General Counsel, we have concluded that HB1696 violates Article Ill, Section 32 of the
Pennsylvania Constitution.
Article III, Section 32 states in part that The General Assembly shall pass no
local or special law in any case which has been or can be provided for by general law and
specifically the General Assembly-shall not pass any local or special law:
1. Regulating the affairs of counties, cities, townships, wards, boroughs, or
school districts.
HB1696 would bar implementation of a court-ordered countywide reassessment
of real property in Washington County for the purpose of levying property taxes in said
county. The moratorium would continue in effect until the later of an Act of the General
Assembly adopting procedures necessary to ensure uniformity among counties in their
property assessment, or November 30, 2012.
The relevant language of HB1696 reads as follows: No county of the Fourth
Class having a population, according to the 2010 United States census, greater than
185,000 but less than 210,000 may implement, effectuate or undertake the process of a
court-ordered countywide reassessment of real property for purposes of levying property
taxes until the later of:
(1) The General Assembly adopts procedures necessary to ensure uniformity
among counties in their property assessment systems; or

(2) November 30, 2012.

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