Rally in Support of a Community Protection Plan

Don’t Tax Me Out Campaign Calls on City Council to Enact Community Protection Plan

Time and Location: Thursday, October 25, 2007 12:00 pm West Side of City Hall

In 2008 the city will move to full market valuation. Proponents believe that this move will make the tax system more fair and equal. However, a coalition of neighborhood and residents associations is very concerned that if full valuation goes forward without a plan in place to protect residents, especially low-income residents and senior citizens, this plan could have a widespread impact of forcing people out of their homes, especially in neighborhoods where property values have risen dramatically. This coalition, the Community Preservation Network, has launched a campaign entitled Don’t Tax Me Outto educate and mobilize residents in neighborhoods across the city to hold their elected leadership accountable for implementing a plan to soften the blow of what might be a major tax increase for many residents.

Any city that cares about its residents will put in place some protection for people who have remained in neighborhoods through the good and bad times,remarked Lisa Segarra of the Community Leadership Institute, a participating organization within the Community Preservation Network.

On October 25th, the Don’t Tax Me Out Campaign will be gathering impacted residents from across the city, including those who are facing tax foreclosure and others whose taxes have risen dramatically even before the move to full market valuation. The Campaign' own Community Protection Planwill be announced.

Participating organizations include: Point Breeze Neighborhood Association, Community Leadership Institute, Haddington Residents Association, African-American Business and Residents Association, the Anti-Displacement Support Committee of Philadelphia INCITE.