Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. James R. Santora (R-Delaware) expressed his disappointment in Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed new $33.29 billion budget, which would include a $2.7 billion tax increase without providing any property tax reform.
“The governor’s budget address misses the mark by failing to address the issue of property tax altogether. Property tax relief has been a top priority of so many Commonwealth residents for decades, and not to include it in his plan shows his disregard for their needs,” Santora said.
The $2.7 billion tax increase would be generated in part from an 11 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax (PIT), an expansion of the sales tax to include items such as cable television and movie tickets as well as a tax on all tobacco products.
“What’s even worse about the governor’s proposed PIT increase is that it would be retroactive to Jan. 1. Many families in the 163rd District live paycheck to paycheck and, unlike our state government, are forced to live within their means,” Santora explained. “The governor has never had to do that with his personal finances, so it makes sense that he doesn’t understand what it means to take money from paychecks that families have already earned and allocated in their budgets.”
The Department of Revenue has not indicated how employers of the Commonwealth would collect the retroactive tax. However, when the decision is made, all employers will be mandated to follow the same protocol, whether it is taking one lump payment from paychecks or increasing the PIT rate temporarily beyond the 3.4 percent to collect the back payments.
“While the retroactive PIT increase will gain a great deal of attention, education funding must be our priority. Assuming Gov. Wolf gets serious, I will continue to work with him so additional education funding is included in the final budget: $350 million for basic education and $50 million for special education,” Santora said. “However, it will require negotiation because $2.7 billion in new taxes is excessive and absolutely unnecessary to generate the funding.”
“Today’s budget proposal fails to address the needs that my constituents voice to me. The governor has not listened to their priorities, but I hear their voices loud and clear,” Santora said. “I take this job very seriously, and I work each day to represent the district to ensure that their needs are being addressed in Harrisburg.”
Representative James R. Santora
163rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
RepSantora.com / Facebook.com/RepSantora