Allegheny County’s Home Rule Charter calls for a nine-member Government Review Commission to “study the Charter and county government, including the organization, practices and responsibilities of all County departments and agencies” once every decade. Previous commissions were appointed in 2005 and 2015. The members of the commission are appointed by County Council (five) and the County Executive (four) and have one year after being convened to issue a report on their recommendations.
Based on the agenda and discussion that took place at the commission’s first meeting of 2026, property assessments will be a dominant issue for this commission. It is not surprising given the impact of a lawsuit over the county’s Common Level Ratio and the effect it has had on values, particularly for commercial property.
Can a panel of citizens appointed by elected officials who have been avoiding carrying out a reassessment effectively recommend not only to reassess, but to put in place a schedule of regular reassessments that the elected officials must adopt? Due to the political unpopularity of reassessing and the cost and confusion that come along with one, the good public policy recommendation could and should be made, but its adoption is another matter.
As of now, two counties in eastern Pennsylvania—Lancaster and Tioga—reassessed within the last decade (2018 and 2024, respectively) and have indicated they will stick to a schedule of updates (2027 and 2029, respectively). In Pennsylvania, they are outliers. Perhaps Allegheny County can join this small fraternity.
