Republicans aren't the only ones making a campaign issue of the impending changes to county property tax bills.

According to Chris Potter at City Paper, Rich Fitzgerald is saying on the campaign trail that if elected county executive, he'll go to jail before issuing the court-mandated property reassessments next year.

Chris heard the promise at a South Side committee meeting last week and verified it with the county councilman:

I called Fitzgerald yesterday, and he confirmed it: "If I'm the county executive, I won't send the bills out, unless [reassessment] is done statewide."

Um. Can he actually do that? Wouldn't he be in contempt of court or something?

"I guess they could throw me in jail," he says. "And if they do, I'll go to jail. I will not send those bills out if this isn't addressed."

"I don't think this is a good governing strategy," Duquesne U's Joe Mistick tells Chris. "But it might be a good election strategy."

Photo: Fitzgerald, right, at county council. Michael Henninger/PG