Philadelphia voters yesterday approved a charter change abolishing the 156-year-old Board of Revision of Taxes. The BRT sets the value of all properties in Philadelphia which determines the amount a property owner must pay in property taxes. Voters approved the ballot question by a more than 7-3 ratio. Mayor Nutter, most of City Council, newspaper editorial boards, and the Committee of Seventy all came out in favor of abolishing the BRT. "This is a very important moment in Philadelphia’s history. We’ve dissolved an entity that is a throwback to the 1800s, an entity that needed to be put out of business so that we can move forward with the hard work of reform," Mayor Nutter said.

Members of the BRT challenged the legality of the ballot questions. Although the PA Supreme Court declined to intervene in the election, the court’s ruling did not address the merits of the case. It is still possible for those BRT members to renew the suit.

At this point,, the BRT will no longer exist as of Oct. 1. A new Office of Property Assessment (OPA) will be responsible for making and supervising all assessments and valuations of residential and commercial real estate in Philadelphia.