Toepel's Legislation Passes, Brings Evansburg Tax Funds Back to PVSD

Thanks to the work of local representatives, the Perkiomen Valley School District will continue to receive payments in lieu of taxes for Commonwealth-owned and leased properties on Evansburg State Park, up to $305,000 per year.

"School budgets, as well as budgets across all levels of government, have been reduced over recent years and it’s important that we continue to provide all necessary funding to schools which are deserving,” said Marcy Toepel (R-147), who introduced the House Bill 1539.

Both the Perkiomen Valley and Methacton school districts had been charging the Commonwealth an annual fixed payment for tax-exempt forest land, on which property is owned and leased, as long as lands are leased at 90 percent or more of fair market value, and consists of 75 or more leased parcels of land, according to Act 49 of 1929.

In recent years, the number of leased parcels in the park was decreased to 65, and as a result the payments were refused, according to Toepel.

The bill, which was introduced on May 8 and is now on the way to the governor’s desk, lowers the necessary number of leased properties to 30; Evansburg is the only land in the commonwealth that will be impacted by this legislation, according to Toepel.

Local representatives Mike Vereb (R-150) and Matt Bradford (D-70) cosponsored the legislation.