Spurred to take action by the plight of a widow who nearly lost her house over an original $6 bill, state Rep. Jim Christiana introduced legislation Thursday to abolish all property taxes in Pennsylvania.



Under House Bill 2145, property taxes would be eliminated on July 1, 2017, said Christiana, R-15, Brighton Township.



�Since being elected, I�ve had dozens of families in tears in my office because they are about to lose their home because of out-of-control property taxes,� Christiana said. �We cannot allow this onerous, anti-American tax to burden families any longer.�



Christiana did not have an estimate on how much money could be attributed to county, local and school district property taxes, saying that would be determined as the bill goes through the legislative process. It has been referred to the House Finance Committee.



Once the bill is signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, he and the Legislature �will be forced to come up with a replacement mechanism by reducing expenses, streamlining state government and finding fair alternatives,� Christiana said.



Christiana said the �two-step approach� of decisively ending property taxes then determining a replacement model is a better solution than previous legislative attempts that tried to address the two issues in single bills that inevitably failed.



�A two-step approach will set a finite deadline for property tax elimination and force us to find a funding alternative,� Christiana said. �I�m not willing to let the replacement mechanism stand in the way of getting something done any longer.�



The case of Center Township resident Eileen Battisti �had an enormous impact on me as a legislator and me as a critic of property taxes,� Christian said. Battisti�s home was sold at tax sale in 2011 after an original bill of $6.30 went unpaid and mushroomed into a $4,634 bill.



Battisti, who was widowed in 2004, was unaware her house, which was paid for, was sold until she went to the Beaver County tax claims bureau to make a payment.



The case infuriated Christiana, who became a frequent critic of county officials over the issue. Ultimately, Battisti�s attorneys successfully argued in state court that the county failed to properly notify her and the tax sale should be voided.



In July 2015, the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling allowing Battisti to keep her home. On Thursday, Christiana said it was �unconscionable� that Battisti could have lost her home over unpaid property taxes.



�In my opinion, it�s just an unfair way to tax folks,� Christiana.



With it being an election year, some might wonder if introducing such a bill is simply a ploy to win over voters, but Christiana said eliminating property taxes is something he has been seeking since entering office in 2009.



�I felt the need to put the best solution on the table,� he said.