District 7 Newsletter - November 2012

Sent 11/02/2012 @ 2:20 pm

In this month's issue:

News and Update

• What the Homestead Act can do for you
• Get out and vote on November 6th
• Councilman Dowd joins coalition in rally, march asking Highmark, West Penn to resume affiliation

October Proclamations

• Homeless Children's Education Fund
• Pittsburgh's 40 under 40 

Upcoming Events and Meeting

Council to Go

• Polish Hill
• Highland Park 

 

Community Events and Happenings

Did you know? 

 

News and Updates

What the Homestead Act Can Do For You

Do you own the home that you live in? 

If so, you may want to consider applying for a tax exemption allowed under the Homestead Act. Also known as Act 50, the Homestead Act is an exemption that enables those living in homes that they own to receive tax relief for their property via a $15,000 in County and $10,000 in City exemption in the assessed value   property value of their residences, lessening the property taxes homeowners must pay on owner occupied units.

Applications for properties to receive the Homestead Act exclusion are due by March 1^st of each year. Properties approved to receive the Homestead exclusion will receive Allegheny County tax benefits for as long as the property is owned and occupied by the homeowner who filed for the exclusion. For a copy of the application to receive a Homestead Act exclusion, click here. More information about the Homestead Act, as well as answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the Allegheny County website.

Think you might already receive the Homestead tax exemption? Use the Allegheny County real estate search page to find out!

Remember: Get out and vote on November 6^th

It’s November, which means that Election Day is right around the corner! On Tuesday, November 6^th, make sure to get to the polls to make your voice heard. Polls will be open from 7:00am-8:00pm throughout Allegheny County. For more information about your polling place, or to find out how to volunteer at your local polling place on Election Day, take a look at the Allegheny County Elections Division main page.

Councilman Patrick Dowd joins diverse coalition of community leaders, labor leaders, concerned residents, and other elected officials in rally and march asking Highmark, West Penn to resume negotiations

On Wednesday, October 24^th, Councilman Dowd joined community leaders, labor leaders, and concerned residents, and other elected officials to voice a clear message to West Penn Allegheny Health System and Highmark: “get back to the table!”

The group, which calls itself the Community Collaborative Stakeholders, has formed a coalition of community interests to lobby Highmark and West Penn to resume negotiations that would lead to a long-term partnership between the healthcare provider and insurance company. A video of the march and rally can be found on the District 7 website. 

Guided by the belief that West Penn Allegheny Health System is an integral part of Pittsburgh, the group has united a wide range of interests from throughout the community. The Community Collaborative Stakeholders have been working to encourage West Penn and Highmark to complete their affiliation, which, in addition to preserving existing healthcare jobs in District 7 and city-wide, has the potential to further ignite long-term job growth in the region.

The Stakeholders believe that the affiliation between West Penn and Highmark will provide a viable alternative for healthcare consumers in the region, allowing for healthy competition between healthcare systems resulting in a better likelihood of quality care.

The affiliation agreement between Highmark and West Penn has been in jeopardy since September, when Highmark demanded that the financially troubled West Penn go through bankruptcy to help alleviate the provider’s nearly $1 billion in debt obligations. While the Stakeholders are committed to brining West Penn and Highmark back to the table, they do not, however, wish to endorse either side or influence the deal between the provider and insurer.

For more information about the Community Collaborative Stakeholders contact the office of State Senator Jim Ferlo by email at jferlo@pasenate.com or by phone at 412-621-3006. 

October Proclamations

During the month of October, Councilman Dowd sponsored the following proclamations before Council:

Homeless Children’s Education Fund - declaring the week of October 14^th – October 19^th “Homeless Children’s Awareness Week” in the City of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s 40 under 40 - presented to Pittsburgh Magazine, the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, and the Pittsburgh 40 Under 40 honorees.

Upcoming Events and Meetings

Council to Go

Join Councilman Patrick Dowd and his staff at Council to Go, his mobile district office, to voice your concerns, ideas, and questions about local government and services.

Polish Hill – Wednesday, November 14, 7:00PM-8:00PM – Polish Hill Civic Association, 3060 Brereton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Highland Park – Thursday, November 29, 7:00PM-8:00PM – Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro, 1125 N. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206

Community Events and Happenings

• The City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Environmental Services will be collecting leaf and yard debris from all residents in a special collection on the City of Pittsburgh’s Yard Debris Special Collection Day on Saturday, November 10^th. Please note that City crews will not collect dirt, rocks, stones, or cement. Residents must bag leaves in paper bags, with bags not exceeding thirty-five pounds.  Tree branches should be cut, bundled and tied in lengths not exceeding five feet. Tree branch diameter should not exceed four inches.

• If you find yourself craving traditional German food while also wanting to help a good cause, look no further than the Lawrenceville United German Sauerkraut Supper. The Supper will be held on Saturday, November 10^th from 4:00-6:00PM at Zion Lutheran Church located at 237 37^th Street. Menu items include roasted pork loin, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, sauerkraut, applesauce, red beets, and dessert all for only $8. All proceeds will benefit the Lawrenceville United Summer Youth Programs. For ticket information, call Lawrenceville United at 412-621-2720. 

• Join MOVEPGH for one of its Prioritization Workshops, where the MOVEPGH team will present its prioritized list of transportation projects for Pittsburgh’s future. The list, compiled from the input of residents and stakeholders, is based on the community barnstorming sessions held in the summer of 2012. Take a look at this MOVEPGH flyer for a full list of meeting dates, times, and locations.

• Do you live in Morningside, Highland Park, Stanton Heights, or Bloomfield? Consider attending the Zone 5 Citizen’s Public Safety Council’s November meeting to speak with representatives from the Pittsburgh Police Department, as well as other concerned citizen’s from neighboring Zone 5 communities. The Zone 5 Citizen’s Public Safety Council will meet at the Union Project on Tuesday, November 13^th from 7:00PM-8:00PM.

Did you know?

According to a study done by the National Turkey Association, Americans eat roughly 690 million pounds of turkey during Thanksgiving. That is equal to the weight of the entire population of Singapore. Now that’s a lot of turkey!