Butler County property taxes may not be so high after all.

A study by a tax research group in Washington, D.C., indicated that county taxes are higher than some surrounding counties and higher than the state average.

However, Ed Rupert, director of county property and revenue, said the Tax Foundation did not present the information correctly.

Rupert said the foundation's conclusions are skewed.

"It's not even close," he said.

Butler County records indicate its median of property tax payments is about $2,000.

Using Armstrong County records, its median is nearly double Butler's amount, or roughly $4,500.

The foundation study showed the opposite, making Butler at $1,966, higher than Armstrong at $1,652.

Not only was the high-low order incorrect, Rupert said, but the amounts are thousands of dollars off.

He said Butler County taxes are lower because the county still uses market values from a 1969 assessment.

Rupert pointed out the study used different median home values for each county.

The median for Butler homes was $154,000 while Armstrong's was only $87,000.

Rupert said accurate comparisons can't be made unless the same value for a home is used across the board.

The study showed Beaver County's median tax was $1,829. A Beaver County report places the number closer to $2,500.

Rupert said Butler also is lower than the national average of $2,200. The study shows that national number to be $1,917.

Rupert said the study shows the taxes for each county's median-valued home, but not the median taxes.

"The report is not considering equal-valued house," he said.

Butler taxes are significantly lower than the apparent state average of $2,900.

However, the state is using the Tax Foundation study numbers.

By examining a report on legislative business of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Rupert determined how the foundation concocted its numbers.

On page 16 of the report, the median real estate taxes are based on different valued homes for each county.

Bill Ahern, director of policy and communications for the Tax Foundation, stands by the categorizations listed in the study.

He pointed out the study simply presents numbers culled from U.S. Census surveys.

"We're just representing the information," Ahern said.

He said the survey results do produce fairly accurate tracking of taxes.

"There's always disputes over labels," Ahern said in response to Rupert's comments.