Mails

The city has begun mailing out homestead exemption applications to about 500,000 Philadelphia property owners, and Mayor Nutter is encouraging residents to return the forms by November - though the exemption won't be applied until 2014. The exemption allows property owners to shave off a certain amount of their property's value before the tax rate is applied. Currently, the exemption is set at $30,000. The exemption will not be applied to tax bills due in 2013. Rather, the administration is hoping to switch to a new property tax system for 2014, based on a recently completed citywide reassessment.

On the eve of a new school year, Superintendent Raymond A. Fischer has learned that there's one person at Oxford Area High School whom he lacks the power to expel: the principal. For the second time in months, board members are rebuffing efforts by Fischer to get rid of principal David C. Madden, who made headlines when he was suspended earlier this year after calling a bipolar student a "psychopath" in an e-mail. Now, Fischer is armed with a new cache of e-mails from the principal to his girlfriend, Kimberly Webber, a business teacher at the Chester County high school.

Previously undiscovered e-mails by top Pennsylvania State University administrators formed the basis for the scathing report last month that took the school to task for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. This week, their impact will be felt for the first time in the criminal case against suspended university athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz. Defense lawyers for both men are expected in a Dauphin County courtroom Thursday for the pair's first hearing on charges of perjury and failure to report abuse since last year.

Question: My boyfriend of one year has been married three times. He has three teenage children who live with him part time. He is dependent on his parents for assisting in the support of his children. His income - $100,000 - his ex-wife's income, and his parents' retirement income all go toward supporting his children and their extracurricular activities. He has dropped hints that "these times are rough" and openly admits his children are costly. He also has hinted that his ex-wife used to pay half of the household expenses.

Another grievance has been filed against the embattled principal of Oxford Area High School, this one by the parents of a disabled student who say David Madden blocked their son from getting assignments and belittled the mother in e-mails. Chrissy Shelly, whose son Todd suffers from cystic fibrosis, said Madden discriminated against her son by not requiring teachers to follow through on work for him during his frequent absences. As a result, he failed courses and almost didn't graduate.

A former city court employee allegedly made $433,000 in purchases, using court funds to enrich himself, his family, and his friends, federal prosecutors said Monday. William Rullo, 47, of Levittown, was charged in a criminal information with one count of mail fraud. Being charged by criminal information indicates Rullo likely will plead guilty. Rullo worked in the procurement department of the First Judicial District and used a court credit card, a check, and forged invoices for his personal benefit, federal prosecutors said.

The U.S. Postal Service expects a slight delay in the overhaul needed to stave off collapse of the nation's mail system — perhaps six months or more.   Postal customers — that is, taxpayers — should expect additional charges, starting at more than $2 billion and escalating. The fact that postal officials have delivered such troubling news stems from reports that Republican House leaders may not act anytime soon on a plan to stem the service's billion-dollar losses. If Congress doesn't act before the August recess, there's talk that lawmakers might spend the rest of the legislative calendar on other issues — when they're not consumed by a presidential-year election in which political control of Washington is up for grabs.

The City of Philadelphia plans to mail out results of a citywide reassessment of every taxable property on Feb. 15 - finally giving owners an idea of what it truly thinks their properties are worth. The city plans to switch next year to a system that assesses and taxes properties based on actual market value. The city's determination of a property's true worth is key to the process, but City Council must still set the millage, or tax rate, next spring for the 2014 fiscal year.