4/25/2007
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Peterson, Indiana mayors make final push for property tax relief, fiscal flexibility
INDIANAPOLIS – In the wake of new estimates released by the state Legislative Services Agency showing property taxes could rise an average of 24 percent statewide, Indiana mayors pledged today to continue their push for property tax relief and fiscal flexibility that would allow local governments to fund essential services and move away from reliance on property taxes.
Time is running out for Indiana homeowners to get much needed relief with only four days remaining in the 2007 legislative session, the mayors warned. The time for action is now, they said.
“This year is shaping up to be a property tax ‘perfect storm,’ ” Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said. “Homeowners are going to take the full brunt of a system that has increasingly placed the burden on them – from the state eliminating the inventory tax, to huge annual increases in the state child welfare fund, to annual market trending.”
Property tax reform and providing local governments with additional revenue options are major planks of Mayor Peterson’s crime package, which aims to bolster public safety and aggressively fight crime in Indianapolis for the long term.
“We simply have to get property tax relief passed this session, along with reforms that give local governments alternative revenue sources that steer us away from a reliance on property taxes,” said Huntingburg Mayor and Indiana Association of Cities and Towns President Gail Kemp (R).
While the estimates show property tax rates skyrocketing in communities across the state, municipal governments have made cuts and worked to hold the line on new spending, as evidenced by the fact the municipal portion of property tax bills on average have actually decreased.
“This astounding, double-digit jump in property tax bills is unacceptable for homeowners,” said Matthew C. Greller, Executive Director of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. “We remain encouraged by the work of our legislative leaders in the remaining days of this session to approve property tax relief for residents and provide revenue options to fund critical services like public safety.”
The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) is aggressively working to reduce reliance on property taxes and find alternatives for financing critical services citizens need and deserve. IACT is a coalition of municipal officials who seek to improve the quality of life in Indiana and has 475 city and town members. For more information visit: www.citiesandtowns.org.
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