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Spring is election season and here’s the dates to know: March 30: Last day to REGISTER before the primary April 21: Attend "Meet the Candidates for State Representative and State Senator." This forum is co-hosted by QVNA and BVNA.

April 28: GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION and last day for County Boards of Elections to receive voted mail-in and absentee ballots (deadline is 8:00 p.m.)

GET READY: 1. Are you registered to vote? March 30th is the deadline. Not sure if you’re registered? Call 1-877-VOTESPA or check online at http://bit.ly/Am-I-Registered-toVote. Need to register? You can submit an application online or by mail. • Apply online at http://bit.ly/Register-to-Vote-Phila. • Mail-in applications are available at any U.S. Post Office or public library, or download the application at http://bit.ly/VoterRegistration-By-Mail-Form

2. Decide if you need to vote by absentee ballot or by mail-in ballot.

Get Ready. Get Set. Vote! What you need to know to cast your vote in April

by Suzanne Dreitlein

If you’re registered to vote in the April 28th election, you can choose to vote by absentee ballot or mail-in ballot. Either way, your ballot must be postmarked by 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2020. You can also request, complete, and return a mail-in ballot during one trip to City Hall. Learn more at http://bit. ly/Absentee-or-Mail-in-Voting.

GET SET: 1. Find out who is running for office. The April 28th primary includes candidates for office at the national and state levels. United States: President; Congressional Representative. Pennsylvania: Attorney General; Auditor General; Treasurer; Senator (District 1); House Representative (District 175).

As of the date this issue went to press, sample ballots were not available. Please check online closer to the election at http://bit.ly/SeeSample-Ballot.

2. Attend the April 21st “Meet the Candidates” Meeting at 6:30 p.m. You are invited to meet the candidates running for the offices of Pennsylvania State Senate District 1 and Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 175. Queen Village and Bella Vista Neighbors Associations are event co-sponsors. Please check QVNA’s calendar in April for location confirmation: www.QVNA.org/ event/4-21-20

This event will be moderated by Patrick Christmas, policy director for the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan civic leadership organization that advances representative, ethical and effective government.

VOTE! 1. Voting by Mail-in or Absentee Ballot? It must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on April 21st.

2. Voting in Person? Double-check the location of your polling place. Recently, Philadelphia’s 2nd Ward increased its number of districts. Locate your polling online at http://bit. ly/WhereToVoteQV or call 215-686- 1590.

Polling hours are 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. (If you’re still in line at 8 p.m. you can vote.)

You can find a comprehensive voting guide at www.pa.gov/guides/ voting-and-elections. ■

Taxing Topics

by Meredith Piotrowski

How To Contest Your Property Tax Assessment T he Office of Property Assessments (OPA) begins mailing 2021 tax assessments in April. Have you received your property assessment? Have you wondered how the Office of Property Assessment came to the figure stated in the notice? Have you disagreed with that figure and wondered how to contest it? QVNA is here to help. The basis is the Actual Value Initiative (AVI), implemented in 2014, intended to assure that “properties of equal value get the same assessments.” OPA considers the property’s size, age, location, condition, and use when determining its value. For more information, http://bit.ly/How-OPA-Assesses-Property. If you believe the OPA has inaccurately assessed your property, complete the the First Level Review (FLR) form included with your 2021 assessment. The due date is printed on the form. You can also request a FLR form by calling 215-686-9200. An FLR can result in your tax assessment being decreased, increased, or even staying the same. If you requested an FLR last year and have not yet had a hearing, your request may have been transferred to the Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) due to the high volume of FLR requests in 2019. To find the disposition of your FLR, call BRT customer service at (215) 686-9283 or (215) 686-4343.

Sign Up for the Homestead Exemption You may be eligible for the Homestead Exemption if you own a home in Philadelphia AND it is your primary residence. In effect for 2020 Real Estate Tax bills, the assessed value of the property is reduced by $45,000 when you get Homestead. You can apply online at http://bit.ly/Homestead-Exemption-Signup, by phone (215) 686-9200, or by downloading the application at http://bit.ly/Homestead-Download and mailing it in.. If approved, you can receive this tax benefit for as long as you own and live in the property.

Consider the Longtime Owner Occupancy Program Another tax relief option that may be available to those who have lived in their homes for upwards of 10 years is the LOOP program. If your assessment has increased by 50% or more since last year, you may be eligible. In addition to those two stipulations, you must be up-to-date on your current tax bill and your income level must fall below the set value for your family size as listed at http://bit.ly/Longtime-Owner-OccupancyProgram. Unlike with the Homestead Exemption, trusts are sometimes eligible for this tax break. Also, if the Department of Revenue approves your application, you do not need to reapply every year. Consequently, it will be applied to your tax bill annually. ■