| Indiana State Senator, District 30
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-9400
(800) 382-9467
To View the Summary of the 2008 New Laws click here
|
|
Click to hear Sen. Lubbers Public Service Announcement on Cholesterol Awareness
Sign up for e-mail updates
Lubbers Proposes Relief For Those
Hardest Hit by 2007 Property Taxes
Senate committees to begin early on 2008 property tax reforms
Key reforms to be heard in three committee meetings next week
Lawmakers’ bill would expedite relief to
taxpayers in counties ordered to reassess
Legislation would issue credits instead of rebate checks to affected counties
Lubbers, Miller expect far-reaching and permanent proposals on property tax reform to come from tax commission meeting
Senator Teresa Lubbers Testimony
before the Commission of State Tax and Financing Policy: 7/27/2007
Sens. Pat Miller, Teresa Lubbers applaud
Gov. Daniels’ actions on property tax crisis
A message to Senate District 30 residents concerning property taxes: November, 2007
During recent weeks, I have heard from many of you about the property tax crisis. Your feelings of frustration, distrust, anger, disbelief and fear are shared by many others around the state. This crisis is not about people who are unwilling to pay their fair share. It is about people who face such skyrocketing increases that they may lose their homes, choose to move or make major changes in their lives.
While the Governor’s actions calling for a new Marion County reassessment and allowing taxpayers to pay at the 2006 levels were welcome, this is not a solution to the growing and unhealthy reliance on property taxes as the funding source for local government. It does provide the time needed to repair a broken system.
I have consistently said that the property tax system must be reasonable, knowable and fixed or it must be eliminated. Currently, it is none of the three. While there are multiple reasons for the higher tax bills, there is no way to justify a system that causes the value of homes to plummet overnight or punishes people for taking care of their property. People see little relationship between the taxes levied and the services received. They are right.
In spite of the crisis we face, I do believe this is our best chance for real relief and reform. Big changes, such as moving away from using property taxes to fund local government, require the involvement and pressure of the public. In my fifteen years in the State Senate, I have never seen a more engaged public. It is now time to turn this outrage into support of an agenda for change.
We must bring sanity back to the local budgeting process, so that local governments base budgets on revenues that are available rather than by raising taxes and levies to feed budgets after they are set.
We have to reduce the number of taxing units and provide more public notice and input for the ones that remain. The current process favors those who spend rather than those who pay.
The township assessment system is broken beyond repair and should be eliminated.
State government should reduce the property tax burden by picking up the costs of welfare, juvenile incarceration and the general fund budgets of schools. These changes will dramatically reduce taxes in Marion County.
We must reduce government spending and look for new ways to fund local government. A robust discussion is underway to consider replacement revenues and the public’s tolerance for shifting from property taxes to sales and/or income taxes.
There are many other worthy ideas, including many that people in Senate District 30 have offered. I understand that there is no issue currently more important than providing permanent property tax relief. I commit my continuing efforts to this critical cause.
Sincerely,
Sen. Teresa Lubbers