(Statehouse) – Property tax relief has been the top priority for many lawmakers in the Indiana Statehouse this legislative session.
The top lawmakers in the Indiana House say that, at the moment, the job of creating the framework for property tax relief is the job of the State Senate. Right now, the House is tasked with crafting the initial draft of the state’s next two-year spending plan.
Even with that in mind, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) is confident that they will come up with a good framework for property tax relief.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from our constituents that they want property tax relief,” Huston said on All Indiana Politics. “We (Republicans and Democrats) are working together to find that right balance to make sure we are finding that relief while also making sure that local governments have the funding that need for the services that their constituents want.”
Many Hoosiers have seen their property tax bills increase significantly over the last couple of years. Some so much so that they have been priced out of their homes, especially many Hoosiers on a fixed income.
Gov. Mike Braun (R) was among the first to release a rough draft of a plan for property tax relief while he was campaigning for governor last year. He wants to cap property taxes at 3-percent for all Hoosier homeowners. The caps would only be 2-percent for low-income families as well as Hoosiers who are retired.
Neither Huston nor House minority leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) were able to comment on if that’s the framework their colleagues in the Senate are pursuing, but GiaQuinta is just as confident in solving the issue as his Republican counterpart.
“When it does come to local governments, we need to make sure they have the funding to do what they need to do,” he said. “But, if there are ways that we can be fully funding education in the state, I think that can also help with property taxes.”
GiaQuinta hopes to see those alternatives so that funding for local publics education doesn’t need to rely heavily on property tax referenda.
The legislature still has a few months to iron out the issues with property taxes since this is a budget year.
(Story by Network Indiana)
