USC level of taxation too high
Those who have lived in Upper St. Clair for a long time may not recognize how the community compares to others in its level of taxation of our incomes and properties. A thorough examination leads to the conclusion that our residents have been overburdened for years.
Within the 12 years that I have resided here, the municipal tax millage has soared as residents will be paying for a community recreation center that thousands of us indicated on no uncertain terms to tin-eared, profligate spending commissioners we did not want. How does a lovely community like Pine Township get by with a municipal tax of .998 mills as Upper Saint Clair imposes a 3.83 mill levy?
The property tax reform/relief promised by then-candidate Ed Rendell in 2002 was a sham. Most state residents, and certainly those in our community, are paying far more today than they were in 2002, and the Upper St. Clair School Board has again requested the ability to increase our millage more than the amount which is allowed by state law, which is tied to the increase in the cost of living.
The school property tax millage rate of 21.413 for 2013 was higher than that which is imposed in most other Allegheny County communities and will most certainly increase markedly for 2014 as other districts hold the line on taxes and spending. Adding insult to injury is the fact that some school board members are unwilling to recognize those who oppose their spending and taxation plans, ignoring our pleas for fiscal reason. It is telling that although Superintendent O’ Toole is often willing to engage in dialogue with the average community resident, some board members’ message to those who dissent is to drop dead: shut up and move if you do not like it.
For a real eye opener, look at millage rates in the desirable and up and coming communities of Cranberry Township and Seven Fields, where one can expect to pay about half of what they do in Upper St. Clair.
Upper Saint Clair’s earned income tax is 30 percent higher than that which is levied in most other area communities at 1.3 percent, meaning that it takes an extra $300 for every $100,000 in income.
There are many wonderful facets of this community, including its safety and beautiful neighborhoods of upscale homes. For many of us, though, living here is a financial loser. Upon becoming a resident in 2002, I could not have imagined the extent to which Upper St. Clair would shift from being a community of fiscal prudence and responsibility to one in which the resident/taxpayer is continually under assault. Anyone who believes that there is a viable Republican Party here which advocates for taxpayer-friendly positions and which adheres to the traditional party tenets is mistaken. Many of those in positions of authority who identify as Republicans are masquerading.
Oren Spiegler
Upper St. Clair