More than 100 residents rally outside Indiana Co. courthouse to protest property reassessment

INDIANA COUNTY, Pa. — More than 100 residents rallied outside the Indiana County courthouse Wednesday to protest a recent property reassessment, which is meant to update valuations for each of the county's more than 48,000 taxable parcels, that has hit many in the rural community hard.

“They've raised the taxes so high that some elderly people - they are not going to be able to afford to keep their farms. They are in tears over this, and they are so worried,” resident Kimberly Roman said.

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“Our family farm has been in the family since the 1800s and we shouldn't have to pay triple in taxes all of the sudden,” resident Marty Stuchell said.

With signs of support on their cars and in their hands, residents took their concerns straight to the county commissioners.

“I interrupted him, and I asked him for a response. And his only response was, ‘We will get back to you after the election,’” resident Ralph Ferraro said.

“Everybody is going to leave Indiana County, and they're going to be stuck with nothing,” resident Joyce Abel said.

After appealing to the commissioners for help Wednesday, residents vowed to take their fight against higher taxes to the election booth.

“If they can't make a decision today based on the stories that they heard that had us all in tears, if they can't make a decision for the people of this county that put them into that office, then they need to go,” resident Tammy Curry said.

Channel 11's news partners at TribLIVE reported that if a majority of the three-member board of commissioners certifies the results of the reassessment by Nov. 15, it would be reflected in tax notices issued by the county and local taxing bodies in 2016.

Calls to the county’s three commissioners Wednesday afternoon were not immediately returned.

WPXI