A Des Moines Register poll of Iowa adults conducted in early March found majorities favoring property tax cuts and gradual elimination of the state’s individual income tax. One question asked whether Iowans favor “cut[ting] property taxes, limiting what local governments could spend on services.”
The benefit of switching to a set dollar exemption is taxpayers would receive a predictable and permanent form of relief that does not depend on the state’s fiscal situation. A tax bill proposed in the 2023 Legislature would switch Iowa from a credit to an exemption as the form of property tax relief for homesteads — or residents’ primary housing. […]
Iowa county bond information is not easy to acquire. State law should require county auditors to have this information on their website and also require the Secretary of State’s office to aggregate this information so news outlets and interested parties could more easily report on bonds and property tax increases being asked at special elections. On March 7, 2023, thirty-five Iowa […]
A proposed $43 million expenditure will be placed on Urbandale’s March 7th ballot requiring 60% approval to pass. If the special election harbors the same voter turnout as last year’s special election, just 14% of voters could commit their community to tens of millions of dollars in spending. The burden of property taxes is a heavy one for many Iowans […]
This article was published in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Despite numerous changes, lasting relief has not been delivered and Iowa currently has the 10th-highest property tax burden in the nation. If you have lived in Iowa for any length of time, then you know property taxes are, without a doubt, the most despised tax in the state. That’s why numerous […]
Simplifying the tax code and forcing cities to live within the general fund levy rate will result in tax relief for property taxpayers. Over the course of Iowa’s history, the legislature has approved multiple property tax levies dedicated to specific uses in municipalities. Many of these special levies came into existence decades ago and no longer serve a purpose. Iowa […]
A spending limitation would deliver lasting property tax relief by taking a head on approach to addressing runaway local government spending. Property taxes are a concern for taxpayers across the nation and it seems Iowa is not the only place where lawmakers are attempting to deliver much needed relief from the burden of local government spending. The Montana Legislature is […]
Iowans and their state government know how to live within their means; it’s time local governments do the same.
If you are following the 2023 Iowa legislative session, then you know there is a lot of proposed legislation aimed at reforming and lowering the property tax. This is because local governments in Iowa have a spending problem. Since 2000, total property taxes collected have increased nearly 120%, well outpacing inflation. The increased spending has put a burden on taxpayers that cannot be ignored.
Unassigned General Fund dollars beyond 15-30% of annual General Fund Expenditures might be excessive. The concept of reserve funds and ending fund balances have been discussed by lawmakers and local officials alike in recent days at the Iowa Capitol and in the press. It’s something we’ve had our eyes on for years here at Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation. Following […]
The House’s proposed legislation would require cities, counties, and school districts to set aside at least 10 percent of the total cost of any project for which bonds are to be issued and require notices be mailed to each property owner with personalized taxpayer information about the effects of potential spending increases on their property tax bills. Just a few […]
At the heart of high property taxes is local government spending. Solving Iowa’s property tax problem will require a commitment to responsible spending limits.
After implementing historic income tax reform, Iowa legislators will be turning their focus on property tax reform. Iowans across the political divide are rightly demanding property tax relief. Nevertheless, property tax reform will not be easy. Property taxes are local taxes and at the heart of high property taxes is local government spending. Solving Iowa’s property tax problem for the long-term will require a commitment to responsible spending limits.
Iowa is one of 18 states that have assessment limitations to limit the growth of property taxes. Iowa is somewhat unique, however, because there is no limitation on property subject to rollback. Once calculated, it applies to all properties, even new construction. The property tax revolts of the late 1970s constituted the most significant property tax limitation movement in our […]
Municipal officials have two major limitations: (1) local governments can only tax their residents as “expressly authorized” by the legislature, and (2) they cannot exercise powers that conflict with state law, meaning it is up to state lawmakers to tell local officials what their powers are. This is an important question for anybody hoping to solve the problem of high […]
Iowa has too much government. Citizens have benefitted from conservative leadership at the state level that has delivered multiple rounds of tax cuts and eased the regulatory burden on businesses and employees, but big-government objectives like property tax growth are on autopilot with no off ramp in sight. Reining in the growth of local government requires solutions to numerous issues.
Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation (ITRF) has created this toolkit to deliver a concise and easily digestible public policy guide for state and local officials who are interested in property tax reform. Since no single policy solution will “fix” Iowa’s property tax, this toolkit offers concrete ideas for policymakers that will bend the expense curve and eventually reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Direct notification is an aggressive transparency measure forcing local governments to be honest with taxpayers about how their property tax bills will be affected by potential spending increases. Iowans are frustrated with high property taxes, but very few understand the complexity of the system. In 2019, the property tax transparency and accountability law required each city and county to hold a public hearing focused on the proposed budget and total property taxes needed to fund that budget. Information about this hearing such as the date, time and location are required to be published and posted on the local government’s website, social media accounts and the local newspaper.
All properties should be assessed equally using the same standards to ensure Iowans are not paying more than their fair share in property taxes. Iowa has six different classifications of real property used for property tax purposes: agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, public utility, and railroad. State law requires property subject to taxation to be assessed at 100% of its fair market value, with an exception for agricultural land, which is assessed using a five-year average productivity calculation.
Having multiple property tax levies allows local governments to shift spending outside the regular general levy driving up the overall cost of government on taxpayers. BACKGROUND No municipality in the State of Iowa may levy a tax unless it is specifically authorized to do so by state law. Over time, the legislature has approved multiple different property tax levies. For […]
Financial questions that directly affect property taxes and determine some of the most-important decisions affecting local property taxpayers should be held during general November elections when voter turnout is highest. The Iowa Constitution mandates that the general election be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. This includes county officers, such as auditor, sheriff, treasurer, recorder, county attorney, and supervisors, as well as nonpartisan offices, including public hospital trustees, soil and water conservation commissioners, county agricultural extension councils, and township officers. City and school elections are held on the same day in November, except in odd-numbered years.
All counties should have the same uniform presentation that contains the amount owed, compared with the previous year, and a list of all levies, broken down by the relevant authorities to provide taxpayers with a complete picture of their tax bill. The Iowa State County Treasurer’s Association provides property tax information for all 99 counties. Taxpayers can simply click on their counties and enter their information to view their property tax bills.
Taxpayer dollars should be used to advance the public good, not to bankroll lobbyists who advocate against taxpayers’ interests. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is when political subdivisions such as counties, cities and school districts, pay lobbyists with money they have received from taxes. This can include membership fees in government sector lobbying associations like the Iowa League of Cities, Iowa Association of Counties, and the Iowa Association of School Boards. It can also include local governments hiring and contracting with lobbyists directly. For instance, in 2022 Linn, Marion, and Polk counties spent a combined $190,000 on lobbying.
Local governments may be tying up property tax dollars with needless incentives while further saddling residents and businesses with growing tax burdens. Urban renewal programs shouldn’t be utilized in areas that are already growing or on projects that would occur without a subsidy anyway.
Urban renewal areas have existed in Iowa since 1957, and the designation can allow governments to finance public infrastructure, redevelop slums or blighted areas, or (very broadly) promote economic development. Local governments have several tools at their disposal to accomplish those goals, with tax increment financing (TIF) being a common one.
When rate limits apply selectively, taxing authorities can shift responsibilities to those without them. Over time, local government spending goes up, and the intent of the rate limit is negated. Local taxing entities have layered multiple tax levies on each property in addition to general taxation, such as levies dedicated to public libraries, emergency management, debt service, cemeteries, and flood and erosion control. Iowa cities have around 30 different levies, while counties and townships have around 10, and other taxing districts, such as agricultural extensions, county hospitals, and miscellaneous districts, have fewer. Iowa applies the maximum levy rate limit to each individual levy, not on each level of government or in aggregate. And several types of levies continue without limitations, being permitted at the “amount necessary.”
As of 2021, Iowa’s local governments were carrying a total of $13.8 billion in outstanding debt, of which cities held $7.1 billion, schools $4.9 billion, and counties $1.1 billion. Local taxing jurisdictions should also not be allowed to incur large amounts of debt without a vote of the people. While borrowing small sums may be necessary for emergencies or other unique situations, local boards or city councils incurring debt without taxpayer votes should be infrequent.
Property tax rates are important but advocates often forget that government spending causes higher tax bills. Local governments may even claim they have reduced rates, leaving taxpayers to wonder why their tax bills are bigger. Tax rates only tell one side of the story and can often be misleading. Focusing on revenue controls spending and does not allow local governments to take advantage of windfalls from assessments. More importantly, it forces local governments to be honest.
Spending limits are similar to speed limits in a school zone, both are designed to protect. In the case of local governments, they apply the brakes to slow spending down. BACKGROUND Over the past 20 years, the average annual rate of growth for property tax revenue has been: 4.1 percent for cities, 4.2 percent for county general services, and 3.7 […]