Mayor’s Tax Tuition Plan Could Mean Double Taxes For Some

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl recently proposed a one percent tax on tuition for students attending universities, trade schools and colleges in the city of Pittsburgh is coming under fire from parents.

Lauren Zammerilla is a student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Her father, Bill Zammerilla is a Pittsburgh resident who pays the tuition bills. As a resident he and others like him would get hit with double taxation under Ravenstahl’s plan.

In Zammerilla’s case that would add up to about $135 a year for the tuition tax, on top of city and county taxes.

Zammerilla said, “I just think it’s totally out of line for him to even consider something like that.”

The mayor expects the tuition tax will generate about $16 million with $15 million each year to the city pension fund and a million a year to the Carnegie libraries.

Zammerilla thinks lawmakers can balance the budget without putting a bigger burden on parents and students.

“I think its going to discourage a lot of other students from attending Pittsburgh schools from other parts of the country.” Zammerilla said.

On Tuesday seven local colleges and universities attacked the tuition tax proposal and said if passed they will fight it in court.