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September 20, 2022

You Pay Taxes, So Why Don’t Colleges & Hospitals?

City Cast Pittsburgh

You Pay Taxes, So Why Don’t Colleges & Hospitals?

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Roughly 20% of Pittsburgh land and 10% in Allegheny County is owned by nonprofits exempt from paying property taxes, including UPMC and Allegheny Health Network, as well as major universities like Pitt, CMU, and Duquesne. Officials say that missing money is holding local government back from supplying necessary services that benefit the whole community. PublicSource reporter Emma Folts is on to explain how we got here and what could come next.

A co-report via city and county governments this year outlined the issue. Check it out here: https://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/redtail/images/18106_PILOT_Special_Report_Final.pdf

And read Emma and her colleagues’ full reporting here: https://www.publicsource.org/category/the-exempt-dilemma/

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