Property tax refunds and the common level ratio
Summary
Six years of court-ordered tax refunds are costing the county $652,000, driven by commercial assessment appeals and the state's falling common level ratio. Reuther wants a public explainer on how this cascading formula hits the county and school districts.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 19, 2026.
Impact analysis
$652,193.61 in court-ordered refunds, drawn from the budget's tax-appeal contingency fund.
The 47 property owners receiving refunds, mostly owners of large commercial properties.
Other taxpayers effectively bear the cost, since the refunds come out of the county budget.
Mentions & discussions (5)
County Council - Aug 19, 2026
Council approved 72 court-ordered property tax refunds totaling over $756,000 across 21 municipalities — unusually large, Vice Chair Reuther explained, because of one big new development's assessment settlement and the common level ratio effect. Separately, 38 owners got $14,578.98 back for overpayments.
County Council - May 18, 2026
Court-ordered tax refunds hit $558,624 this cycle, mostly from one appeal on a $140-million-plus property. The solicitor warned small boroughs and school districts get hit hardest by the common level ratio and appealed properties.
County Council - May 6, 2026
About 166 property owners are getting refunds — $44,161 for routine overpayments and $652,193 in court-ordered refunds spanning 2021–2026 across Chester, Darby, Radnor, Upper Darby and other municipalities.
County Council - May 5, 2026
Six years of court-ordered tax refunds are costing the county $652,000, driven by commercial assessment appeals and the state's falling common level ratio. Reuther wants a public explainer on how this cascading formula hits the county and school districts.
County Council - Jan 7, 2026
Public commenters repeatedly confronted Council over the 2025 and 2026 tax increases and the tax sale of an elderly Upper Darby woman's home over roughly $3,000 in back school district taxes. Chair Womack disclosed he himself is on the county's payment plan, and officials stressed the treasurer's payment plan serves about 600 residents.
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