By law, after reassessment the Blair County Commissioners can not raise taxes that exceeds the millage from 2016. 

 

They’ve made adjustments to specific taxes to abide by that law. 

 

The library fund and the general fund tax are staying at the current rate. 

 

There will be a decrease of 15.6 percent in the death service tax and 37.3 percent decrease for the parks and recreation tax. 

 

However, the county is allowed to raise millage by ten percent, which they’re choosing to do this year to battle their current pension problem. 

 

Blair county commissioners say the increase is something they wanted to avoid, but the pension deficit is something they have to deal with. 

 

They’ll increase the millage by .255 which will bring in about 4 million dollars.

 

Half of that money is going to the pension program.

 

This means Blair County residents will see an increase in their property taxes. 

 

“It’s a net 6.5 percent increase on the total tax due, but when I say total tax due that’s the total reassessment equalized number,” Blair County Commissioner Terry Tomassetti said. “So it’s a 6.5 percent increase from the 2016 year.”

 

That 6.5 percent translates to about 28 dollars a year, for a home that’s assessed value is 150 thousand dollars.

 

All municipalities are allowed to raise millage up to ten percent along with the county.