There is a lot of discussion over the property tax legislation, and I want to make sure you fully understand what this means for taxpayers. We want to place permanent caps in the Indiana Constitution to ensure that taxes will never exceed a percentage of your property's assessed value. This means your taxes will not go beyond 1 percent of the value of your home, 2 percent of the value for residential rental property and farmland and 3 percent of the value for other property. I am frustrated with the status of this language in the General Assembly. Last year, we raised Indiana's sales tax by 1 percent with the understanding we would vote to place the property tax caps in the constitution. However, House Democrat leadership has made it clear it has zero interest in putting the caps in the constitution. The Democrats say that with an unstable economy, we shouldn't cap property taxes. That leads me to believe they intend to increase these in the future. Last year, we promised you the opportunity to put permanent caps in the constitution, and it is our job to deliver. Constituents have contacted me with concerns about agriculture property. To clear up any misconceptions regarding the property taxes and how they affect Hoosier farmland owners, I have posted an example on my homepage. I encourage you to take a look. The example is under "Details about Agriculture Tax Caps" on my web page at: http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/homepages/r58/. Please keep in mind that if it were up to me, I would abolish property taxes completely, but until that day comes, this alternative is better than our current setup. As always, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to contact me. I can be reached via email at h58@in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9841. I look forward to hearing from you.
|
