By Amaris Elliott-Engel
Of the Legal Staff
Philadelphia Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe said Tuesday she is in support of reform efforts under way to improve the patronage-plagued Board of Revision of Taxes.
"The current system is not good from the public's or the judges' standpoint," Dembe said.
Under the current system, the Board of Judges, made up of all the judges of the Court of Common Pleas, has the authority to select members of the BRT as well as the members of the Board of View. A City Council hearing was held Tuesday on a bill that would change how property tax appraisals are handled in the city.
Dembe said that the Board of Judges does not have the ability to perform the kind of background checks a private corporation can do, and that the Board of Judges has no authority to supervise the BRT members once they are appointed.
While Dembe believes the Board of Judges does have the authority to remove members of the BRT, Dembe said the power of the Board of Judges to remove BRT members might be attenuated because the power is based upon a number of statutes that do not mark out a clear line of authority. For the first time in 150 years, the Board of Judges removed Joseph A. Russo in May after an inspector general investigation found Russo manipulated property assessments and abused his power
The president judge said that the control and accountability over the BRT has to be more like the private sector, and she is welcoming the reform efforts.
Of the Legal Staff
Philadelphia Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe said Tuesday she is in support of reform efforts under way to improve the patronage-plagued Board of Revision of Taxes.
"The current system is not good from the public's or the judges' standpoint," Dembe said.
Under the current system, the Board of Judges, made up of all the judges of the Court of Common Pleas, has the authority to select members of the BRT as well as the members of the Board of View. A City Council hearing was held Tuesday on a bill that would change how property tax appraisals are handled in the city.
Dembe said that the Board of Judges does not have the ability to perform the kind of background checks a private corporation can do, and that the Board of Judges has no authority to supervise the BRT members once they are appointed.
While Dembe believes the Board of Judges does have the authority to remove members of the BRT, Dembe said the power of the Board of Judges to remove BRT members might be attenuated because the power is based upon a number of statutes that do not mark out a clear line of authority. For the first time in 150 years, the Board of Judges removed Joseph A. Russo in May after an inspector general investigation found Russo manipulated property assessments and abused his power
The president judge said that the control and accountability over the BRT has to be more like the private sector, and she is welcoming the reform efforts.
Comments