Warren, PA — Warren County residents gathered outside the courthouse Friday, August 1st to protest the countywide property reassessment, saying the new values are unfair and unaffordable.

Many who attended said they were caught off guard by how much their property values increased. 

“Around 20% of Warren County residents are on fixed incomes - they can't afford this increase," stated protest organizer, Eric Berry. "We are out here protesting and trying to stop it, because these assessments are so inflated - they are not realistic values. It's not fair." 

Some community members have posted online saying they won’t pay their county taxes for the next three years in protest. But county tax officials are warning that skipping payments will lead to penalties and late fees that build up quickly.

“While people have the right to protest, not paying taxes will result in fees - just from our office alone - that can go up to well over $1,000.00 after the second year,” explained Philip Gilbert, Tax Claim Bureau Director. "There are other ways to protest."

County Commissioner Ken Klakamp acknowledged the reassessment has caused “sticker shock,” but said it was long overdue.
 
“There was nothing done for 36 years,” Klakamp said. “It wasn’t done until the last board agreed to do it and now people are seeing these numbers at a different face value and are getting sticker shock."
 
Commissioner Dan Glotz reminded residents that there is still time to file an appeal—but that the deadline is strict.
 
“With August 11th being the deadline, people need to know—if they miss it, it’s pushed back into next year,” Glotz said. "We encourage anyone to file an appeal if they are unhappy - but those forms must be in the hands of the Assessment Office by the 11th.”
 
Commissioner Tricia Durbin emphasized that the process is tightly regulated by state law.
 
“It is very prescriptive by law as to how this is done and even when it can be done," Durbin explained. "There’s also a very limited number of companies that can do reassessments in Pennsylvania. In the end, we don’t actually control the process—only when it’s done.”
  

The Warren County School District also weighed in, encouraging residents to act now rather than waiting to see what happens.

“If people have concerns about their assessments, the time to appeal is now,” said Superintendent Gary Weber. “It's better for the County and the School District for everyone to take advantage of the timelines given, and to file an appeal now if they are not happy." 

Property owners can find appeal forms on the county’s website, here or pick one up at the Assessment Office in the Warren County Courthouse.