Understanding Pike Coubty’s Assessment Ratio Change

[Sean Strub]

July 2, 2026

Message from Pike County Commissioner Christa Caceres:

 

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Understanding Pike County’s Assessment Ratio Change

Following the recent notice received via postal mail concerning the ratio change, I’ve heard questions and concerns about Pike County’s recent change to the county’s assessment ratio. Because property taxes affect every homeowner, I want to explain what this change means—and, just as importantly, what it does not mean. Although this has been discussed frequently during some of our latest public meetings, I wanted to make sure that more of my neighbors had access to this information.

First and foremost, this assessment ratio change does NOT increase your county property taxes.

The last thing that I want to see happen is for misinformation to cause unneeded anxiety or stress.

We are all stressed enough!

The purpose of this change is only to update how county taxes are calculated, not how much the county collects.

Think of it like converting inches to feet. Eighteen inches is also 1.5 feet-the numbers look different, but the actual measurement stays the same. The same concept applies here for this ratio change.

Here’s a similar example for the ratio change:

Under the previous system, a property with a 1996 assessed value of $80,000 was taxed using a 25% assessment ratio, meaning the taxable assessment was $20,000 or 1/4th of the home's assessed value.

With the new ratio of 100%, that same property will now show the full assessed value of $80,000.

At first glance, seeing an assessed value that appears four times higher can understandably be alarming. Many residents have also understandably assumed that means their property taxes will also increase four times over.

That is not what happens.

At the same time the assessed value increases because of the ratio change, the county and school tax rate is ultimately reduced by the same proportion. Those two changes offset one another.

The result is essentially the same county property tax bill.

The larger assessment number simply reflects a different calculation method. It is not an automatic increase in the amount you owe.

Why was this change necessary?

Pike County’s assessment ratio has remained at 25% since the countywide reassessment in 1996.

Over time, the county reached the legal ceiling under Pennsylvania law for how property taxes could be calculated. Leaving the ratio at 25% would have limited the county’s ability to respond to future financial needs, if it were necessary to do so.

Without updating the ratio, if the county ever faced a genuine financial emergency and needed additional revenue beyond the legal limit, the Commissioners would first have to ask a judge for permission to exceed that limit. If that request were denied, the county could have been left with little choice but to reduce important public services.

Changing the assessment ratio modernizes the tax calculation and gives Pike County the same flexibility that many other Pennsylvania counties already have.

What does this mean going forward?

At this time, there is no plan or intention to raise county property taxes.

The ratio change itself does not increase taxes. It simply updates the method used to calculate them and ensures the county has the legal flexibility to respond responsibly should extraordinary financial circumstances ever arise.

It’s also important to understand that any future county tax increase would require a separate public vote by the Board of Commissioners. It would not happen automatically because of this assessment ratio change.

My commitment to you

I understand why seeing an assessed value that suddenly appears four times higher would cause concern. As a fellow homeowner in Pike County, I would likely have the same initial reaction if I didn’t know why the numbers had changed.

My hope is that this explanation helps clear up some of that confusion.

As your Commissioner, I believe residents deserve straightforward, honest communication—especially on issues involving taxes. I’ll continue to share information as we move toward the countywide reassessment in 2028, and I’ll always do my best to explain these decisions in plain language.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve Pike County.

— Christa Caceres
Pike County Commissioner

For more detailed information on this process, please visit: https://www.vgsi.com/pike-county-pa-reassessment/.

The primary contact number for the Pike County Assessment and Reassessment Office is (570) 296-5936, extension 1370.

The main office is located at 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337 and operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Vision Government Solutions Office: Property owners with specific questions regarding the ongoing countywide data collection can reach the partner reassessment team directly at (800) 525-9876 or via email at pikereas...@vgsi.com.

General Tax Administration Office: For broad tax questions *not* related to the physical property reassessment metrics, the main tax line is (570) 296-3420.

 

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