The time has always been right for Penn to join the other universities that have agreed to enter into PILOT arrangements. But the time has never been more crucially right, in the wake of the pandemic, the resulting economic impact, and the growing nationwide awareness of the racism that has for centuries so profoundly disfigured our civic life, and continues to do so today.

I join with my colleagues in urging Penn’s administration and trustees to move expeditiously toward the implementation of the necessary PILOT agreements. The University’s participation in this program will confirm our dedication to Philadelphia and its citizens, and especially to the city’s young people.

The city of Philadelphia is deprived. The School District of Philadelphia is drowningand the gap between rich and poor keeps deepening. With today’s schools being more segregated than they were 40 years ago, Penn’s failure to pay PILOTs directly and disproportionately affects Black and Brown people. This is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed. We must stop betting against Philadelphians and begin facilitating innovative ways to alleviate systemic inequality. 

We are faculty and staff at the University of Pennsylvania who believe that Penn has a responsibility to ensure adequate funding for the Philadelphia public schools. Penn is the largest property owner in the city of Philadelphia, but as a non-profit institution, it pays no property taxes on its non-commercial properties. In other words, it contributes nothing to the tax base that funds Philadelphia’s public school system — all of this in a city whose schools are underfunded and facing deep budget cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penn has a $14.7 billion endowment and a $3.5 billion operating budget and owns $3.2 billion of tax-exempt property in Philadelphia. PILOT would be a drop in the bucket of Penn’s vast wealth. While money doesn’t solve all problems, it is past time for Penn to stop benefiting from systems that advantage primarily white institutions and make reparations for the damage the university has caused. By voluntarily making these changes, the university has the opportunity to exhibit leadership and courage and set an example for the city’s other large nonprofits to contribute their fair share to the community.

The ongoing debate over what universities and hospitals — who aren't required to pay property taxes — should be contributing to the city's coffers gets an added wrinkle during a pandemic-triggered economic free fall.

To this day, Penn fails to engage with the Philadelphia community in a constructive or collective manner, and instead uses its status as a nonprofit to avoid paying desperately needed property taxes. It’s time for Penn to step up and finally pay Payments in Lieu of Taxes.

It’s time for our wealthy neighbors at the University of Pennsylvania, who occupy 10 percent of the city’s land, to start paying their property taxes.

Count me in as one alumnus in favor of PILOTs (Payment in Lieu of Taxes). Assuming your Nov. 11 article is correct and the city would be satisfied with a $6.6 million per year payment, that sounds like a bargain to me.