There was so much panic over the Mayor's Actual Value Initiative (AVI) plan, it reminded us of an old saying: "Don't borrow trouble." But we not only borrowed trouble, we bought and paid for it with all our worry about what AVI would mean for each and every one of us: homeowners, small businessowners, renters, landlords and everybody in between. As it happens, property owners do have a little more of a burden, but in an all-too-familiar way: Property taxes are going up again, by an average of $49 per year. And businesses are getting a hike in Use and Occupancy tax of 19 percent. So yes, it's still not fun, but it's less trouble than we purchased. Now as to whether it's good for the city to wait on AVI, well, that's another matter. [Daily News/Philly Clout]
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