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An ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing the Administrative Code of Allegheny County, Article 207, entitled “New Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review,” §5-207.03, entitled “Qualifications of Board Members, appointment; terms: organization of Appeals Board, and §5-207.04, entitled “Compliance with County Procedures,” in order to establish uniform training requirements for members of the Board and any hearing officers retained by the Board.
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Whereas, Article 207 of the Administrative Code of Allegheny County, first enacted in 2000, establishes the basic powers, duties and function of the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (“BPAAR”); and
Whereas, Section 5-207.07.A. expressly indicates that “[t]he new Appeals Board shall have the power and its duty shall be to…[h]ear all cases of appeals from assessments and tax exemption status determination in accordance with its rules and regulations governing appeals as provided in §5-207.06 of this Administrative Code;”; and
Whereas, within Article 207, §207.03 also establishes qualifications for BPAAR members, while §5-207.07.B. authorizes BPAAR to “[c]ontract, if necessary to fulfill its duties, with hearing officers to hear cases of appeals from assessments in accordance with the Assessment Appeals Standards and Practices Ordinance…,” and §5-207.04 mandates that all BPAAR members and hearing officers must abide by general County procedures (including the Ethics Code, fiscal procedures, purchasing procedures, and personnel procedures); and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that existing County law clearly establishes both that (1) BPAAR has a statutory power and duty to hear appeals, and (2) has the ability to contract with hearing officers in the event that doing so becomes necessary to fulfill those duties; and
Whereas, it is also, however, the judgment of Council that no provision contained within Article 207 establishes ...
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