Twenty-one local governments are seeking property tax hikes on top of already-elevated assessments. On September 10, 2024, 13 school districts, two counties, and five cities will place property tax questions before voters in a special election. Eleven school districts are requesting a renewal or an increase in physical plant and equipment levies (PPELs), which generate local property tax dollars for […]
Had the 24 cities and counties examined in this report followed a 2 percent cap over the last decade, Iowans in those communities alone would have $160 million more in their wallets to satisfy their desires, including investing in the future, saving for a rainy day, and attaining their American Dream. OVERVIEW The Problem: Unchecked Property Tax Growth Lessons from […]
24 school districts caused Unspeakable Pain according to ITR’s scale (+20%) Any Iowans looking at their property tax bills can see that they keep going up year after year, but how much exactly? And how much property tax pain are you and your family about to experience from the spending decisions your locally elected officials are making? ITR Foundation has […]
Of the 275 cities evaluated, nearly 90% chose to increase the property tax pain on their residents. Any Iowans looking at their property tax bills can see that they keep going up year after year, but how much exactly? And how much property tax pain are you and your family about to experience from the spending decisions your locally elected […]
91 counties increased their property tax revenue on a per capita basis since last year. Any Iowan looking at their property tax bills can see that they keep going up year after year, but how much exactly? And how much property tax pain are you and your family about to experience from the spending decisions your locally elected officials are […]
Iowans have long despised property taxes, and they aren’t going to develop any warm and fuzzy feelings about them any time soon. Local governments are collectively cranking up their property tax collections by more than six percent as cities (+6.6%), counties (+7.6%), and school districts (+5.4%).
The issue is not what the money is being spent on, but how the board decided to pay for the project. The Waterloo Community School District’s Board of Education wants to modify its buildings to better facilitate student learning. We expect school board members to make such decisions, but a problem arises with how board members agreed to pay for […]
The Register poll should be a lesson for policymakers that Iowans understand that inflation is directly caused by government spending. As regular ITR Live listeners and viewers know, our own John Hendrickson has opinions. Most of these opinions cover topics within the ITR Foundation issue set, but some do not. We believe John’s thoughts need to be shared with a […]
A strong, 2 percent cap on the growth of a local government’s property tax collections from year to year should be instituted by the state legislature. Gas is expensive, the cost of groceries continues to rise, and insurance companies say they need to charge more because of the weather. Plus, because we live in Iowa, there’s another big-ticket item we […]
Transparency requires accurate data and enforcement mechanisms when local governments don’t follow the rules. Taxpayers across the state of Iowa received notices this spring that outlined proposals their local elected officials put forth for property taxes for the upcoming fiscal year. Many citizens expressed concern about the notices because they saw significant increases from the year before. Some city leaders […]
Federal, state, and local funding helps subsidize community college tuition costs. As an agricultural state, Iowa has historically had a lot of ground to cover establishing institutions of higher learning. In 1950, only one-third of Iowans aged 25 and over had high school diplomas or more education. The most-recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau raises that figure to 93% of all Iowans. […]
A version of this article appeared in Real Clear Markets. The solution for reducing poverty does not reside in UBI programs. The best path to reduced welfare is the ready availability of jobs. Persuaded that universal basic income (UBI) programs would do more harm than good, the Iowa Legislature has passed a bill to ban such initiatives at the local […]
Elected officials and bureaucrats always have big “economic development” plans. However, these plans are ineffective and cost taxpayers dearly. The changing fortunes of downtown Des Moines, the people who live and work there, and the companies that call it home should teach us all a lesson on the limitations of local governments’ economic development efforts. In the real world, even […]
This article was published in The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Telegraph Herald, and The Gazette. Unsustainable increases in spending can lead to severe consequences. Iowa’s success in maintaining fiscal discipline is a testament to its effectiveness. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-led Legislature have emphasized conservative budgeting as a central priority. Such prudence in budgeting is the cornerstone of fiscal […]
This article was published in The Daily Nonpareil. At a time when property valuations are increasing at double-digit rates and inflation is cutting into household budgets, Council Bluffs should be reducing its reliance on property taxes and making them more consistent, not introducing expenses and uncertainty. The $440 million Omaha streetcar project is in the first stages of construction across […]
This article was published in Governing. Iowa policymakers did the right thing in prohibiting localities from creating UBI programs that would not only fail to resolve poverty but also create a fiscal nightmare for taxpayers. The idea of a universal basic income (UBI), whereby a government provides everyone with a certain monthly amount to spend as they wish, is nothing new. […]
Officials demonstrate fiscal restraint even as they continue to up the state’s investment into education and healthcare. The passage of the appropriations bills that make up the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget marked the final major legislative action of the session. Since spending is the primary driver of public policy, a priority for Governor Kim Reynolds and legislative leaders has […]
“The headline of this session is simple: Iowa’s income tax rate will be the 6th lowest in the country…” The Iowa legislature has adjourned, and this session has resulted in some important pro-growth policy victories that provide further tax relief to Iowans, while also making Iowa’s economy more competitive and government more efficient. As Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said, “The […]
This legislation properly reminds Iowa cities and counties of their expected role, while protecting property taxpayers from funding a flawed poverty prevention program. Taxpayers across Iowa were provided with another protection by the Iowa Legislature this week, as the House and Senate sent a bill to Governor Reynolds that bans local governments from participating in guaranteed income programs. House File […]
This article was published in the Des Moines Register and The Gazette. With constitutional protection, if a future legislature wanted to increase the income tax, then it would have to either build a consensus or have supermajority control of both chambers. “It’s funny that government can never afford to cut taxes or spending, but taxpayers are never asked whether they […]
The goal of the FY25 budget should be to reflect the average taxpayer’s ability to pay for the budget. Sound tax policy begins with conservative budgeting. Last week both the Iowa House and Senate announced their budget targets for the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Budget targets are used as benchmarks to determine how the various departments and programs within the […]
“There is no reason to think the state cannot continue down the path of leaving more money in Iowans’ pockets.” -Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), which has the arduous task of estimating Iowa’s tax revenue, recently met to provide an updated revenue forecast. The REC slightly lowered their revenue estimate for the current […]
Constitutional protections exist for other state funds, and it is time for taxpayers to receive that same benefit. As part of a historic income tax reform proposal the Iowa House and Senate are introducing two proposed amendments to the Constitution that would serve as protections for taxpayers. Both amendments would make it more difficult for a future legislature to increase […]
Counties are cashing in on hefty property taxes from high assessments, and reducing rates won’t halt financial gains. You might hear your county officials complaining they are facing dire straits this year because of the new property tax law. The truth is that too many counties have been cashing in on hefty property taxes from rapidly increasing assessments, and redirecting […]
Diverting Taxpayer Relief Fund dollars to property tax relief would simply be another instance of the state subsidizing local government spending growth. During the 2023 legislative session, the Iowa Legislature began to consider two important constitutional amendments that would provide protection for Iowa taxpayers. If lawmakers are interested in continuing to stand up for the taxpayer, they should again contemplate […]
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