Center City Residents Association (CCRA) met for its annual “Celebration of Center City Living” last Tuesday at Freeman’s. Members sipped cocktails, perused the antiques that would soon be up for auction and talked about the latest tsoriss: the increased real estate tax.

Even though property values have shot up over the last few years, it is shocking to see next year's property taxes tripling.

Not an organization to sit and whine, CCRA scheduled a public forum on tax reform for Wed., Oct. 23, at the First Presbyterian Church on Walnut Street. Guest speakers included David Glancey, chairman of the Board of Revision of Taxes; Paul Levy, executive director of Center City District; Richard Voith, senior vice president of Econsult Corporation; and David Thornburgh, executive director of Pennsylvania Economy League (PEL).

PEL is an independent, nonprofit public policy research and development organization focused on promoting government for a more competitive region by providing information and support to civic leadership.

Thornburgh said that there is good news and bad news in the fact that while property values have increased, so have property taxes.

"Be careful what you ask for," said Thornburgh. He added that if property values went down, then so would taxes, but no one wants low property values.

PEL spent time last year on another thorny issue, the city wage tax, and concluded that lowering the wage tax would stimulate the economy enough so that city revenues and city services would not be affected.

Back at Freeman's, most CCRA members said they had appealed the tax increase, while others felt that there was not much they could do because they would end up paying the increase anyway.

This was generally a well-heeled crowd, living either in Society Hill or the Rittenhouse Square area, where most of the property value increases have occurred.

On other matters, CCRA has joined with two other city coalitions: Reasons to Stay (in Philadelphia) and the Coalition of Philadelphia Neighborhood Associations (CPNA), a group that formed to protest river-boat gambling.

The agenda of these three organizations is to reform city taxes and improve schools and city services.

Comings and Goings

Mike Marsico is not the only one who left his job to get out the vote for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell.

Marsico, the co-chair of Liberty City Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, vacated his position as Councilman Angel Ortiz’s legislative aide to travel statewide to drum up the gay vote for Rendell.

Terry Gillen has left National Community Capital Association to help Rendell's campaign. Gillen was National's CEO. She last ran unsuccessfully in the 1999 Democratic primary for City Council at-large and is considering another run next year.

Sean Reilly, the state director for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, has left that gig to join Greenberg Traurig's governmental and administrative law practice as government affairs counsel. Reilly joined Greenberg late last month. After almost three years, he left Santorum's office in July. Reilly was also the political director for Santorum's leadership PAC, America's Foundation.

In addition to being a lawyer, Reilly is also an adjunct professor of government at Penn and is known for his annual and lively holiday party in December at the Union League.

"I have done all I can do," said Reilly. "I have accomplished a lot and it is time to move on."

Reilly, a 34-year-old Republican, said he has been approached by many to run for an at-large Council seat next year.

"I have been talking about it with my family and my new firm and I will make a decision shortly."

One-Stop Paying

Soon you may be able to pay all your gas, water and tax bills online. MRF Consultants has just completed a survey for the city that asked random residents whether or not they would use the Internet to pay their city bills.

The official name of the survey is "The Mayor's Office of Information Services Citywide Survey."

Maria Roberts is the president and CEO of MRF Consultants and has been working on updating and retooling the city's website, phila.gov. Phila.gov was rather lame before it was restructured and now it is clear, updated and easy to navigate.

The company polled 1,500 city residents and asked them 25 questions each.

"We got very good responses," said Roberts. "We asked people if they used or had a computer, if they paid other bills online and if they were comfortable with using their credit card online. The goal was to find out how many people actually use the Internet, and if so, was it just for entertainment," she said.

Gender and demographics were also part of the survey.

Roberts said that her company is now compiling the data and will submit it to the Office of Information Services (OIS). Then a decision will be made regarding if and when residents can have the option of paying their city bills online.

Municipal workers may have to be trained to use technology if this occurs.

"We look forward to the data and subsequent report," said Monica Malayna Perloff, OIS project manager.