Indiana Property Tax Cap Amendment

[rmabrey]

I may have missed the thread on this, but otherwise, why am I just hearing about this today. Heard a commercial on the radio this morning opposing this amendment. Same station I always listen to yet im just hearing it today.

Indiana Property Tax Cap Amendment

 

[eldirector]

I may have missed the thread on this, but otherwise, why am I just hearing about this today. Heard a commercial on the radio this morning opposing this amendment. Same station I always listen to yet im just hearing it today.

Indiana Property Tax Cap Amendment

Yer link is broken....

I haven't heard much either. The pessimist in me assumes that they are hoping for poor voter turnout, and it doesn't pass.

I am of 2 minds on this:
Pro - a 1% cap sure sounds nice, compared to what we have now.
Con - this legalizes property taxes, by adding them to the State constitution. Currently, we have NO legal basis for property taxes, and there are a few suits pending challenging them.
Con#2 - It may be 1%, but the State still gets to set the assessed value, and they can still add on all kinds of levies for schools and such.

I guess I need to decide before next Tuesday!

 

[rmabrey]

Yer link is broken....

I haven't heard much either. The pessimist in me assumes that they are hoping for poor voter turnout, and it doesn't pass.

I am of 2 minds on this:
Pro - a 1% cap sure sounds nice, compared to what we have now.
Con - this legalizes property taxes, by adding them to the State constitution. Currently, we have NO legal basis for property taxes, and there are a few suits pending challenging them.
Con#2 - It may be 1%, but the State still gets to set the assessed value, and they can still add on all kinds of levies for schools and such.

I guess I need to decide before next Tuesday!

pretty much what my thoughts on the little reading ive done so far

 

[eldirector]

More info here:
Indiana Property Tax Cap Amendment, Public Question 1 (2010) - Ballotpedia

I'd still rather cut spending and let my tax burden decrease naturally, than cut tax "income" and have the state cut necessary services to keep funding for someone's pet projects.

In the short term, you know schools, police, and fire will suffer. Politicians will try to raise other taxes and levies (many schools are already talking about it) to cover their "losses". It will take quite a while for all the waste to shrivel up and die, if ever.

 

[rmabrey]

So if im just hearing about this today, what other surprises should I expect to see on the ballot Tuesday?

 

[ATOMonkey]

Property taxes are already in the constitution.

One of the oppositions is that the constitution says all property tax shall be uniform and equal.

Obviously, the 1, 2, 3 scale is not uniform and equal.

I'll be voting yes on this measure.

Next step is getting rid of them all together.

 

[ATOMonkey]

More info here:
Indiana Property Tax Cap Amendment, Public Question 1 (2010) - Ballotpedia

I'd still rather cut spending and let my tax burden decrease naturally, than cut tax "income" and have the state cut necessary services to keep funding for someone's pet projects.

In the short term, you know schools, police, and fire will suffer. Politicians will try to raise other taxes and levies (many schools are already talking about it) to cover their "losses". It will take quite a while for all the waste to shrivel up and die, if ever.

Yes, but you know the tail wags the dog when it comes to spending and taxes.

They set the budget and if they fall short, they just raise taxes. It's always been that way and there's nothing to stop it.

At least this way they'll have to run in the red if they want to spend too much.

 

[mrjarrell]

Just remember that it's not a 1% freeze. That only applies to homeowners. Farmers and businesses will be taxed at 2 & 3%. Not fair at all that they should have to bear the brunt of this. Personally, I'm torn on it. I like the idea of freezing the taxes, but it enshrines property taxes in the state Constitution and will make them impossible to get rid of, (which is what I truly favour).

 

[ATOMonkey]

So if im just hearing about this today, what other surprises should I expect to see on the ballot Tuesday?

They have a new provision in there that all people living under rocks won't be able to vote in the future.

Seriously though, where have you been for the last 2 years if you haven't heard about this?

 

[ATOMonkey]

Just remember that it's not a 1% freeze. That only applies to homeowners. Farmers and businesses will be taxed at 2 & 3%. Not fair at all that they should have to bear the brunt of this. Personally, I'm torn on it. I like the idea of freezing the taxes, but it enshrines property taxes in the state Constitution and will make them impossible to get rid of, (which is what I truly favour).

Not impossible. All it will take is another ballot amendment.

Let's be realisitic. Property taxes were never going away before, and upward was the only projected direction.

This is a huge step forward.

 

[eldirector]

Property taxes are already in the constitution.

One of the oppositions is that the constitution says all property tax shall be uniform and equal.

Obviously, the 1, 2, 3 scale is not uniform and equal.

I'll be voting yes on this measure.

Next step is getting rid of them all together.

I stand corrected. You are correct on the "uniform and equal" basis for the suits.

 

[eldirector]

So if im just hearing about this today, what other surprises should I expect to see on the ballot Tuesday?

Indiana - Ballotpedia

A pretty comprehensive list here. Only 1 State item. Others vary by county.

Happy voting!

 

[rmabrey]

They have a new provision in there that all people living under rocks won't be able to vote in the future.

Seriously though, where have you been for the last 2 years if you haven't heard about this?

if I dont see it on INGO chances are I dont hear about it

 

[rimfire_crazed]

So if im just hearing about this today, what other surprises should I expect to see on the ballot Tuesday?

If you're just hearing about this for the first time, you either:

1. Don't own property
2. Don't watch local news
3. Don't read newpapers of any kind
4. Haven't recieved a gigantic tax increase.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Also, just for reference:

Article 8 section 2 provides for taxation of the property of corporations to fund common schools.

Article 10 section 1 defines property assessment and taxation.

 

[k12lts]

I'm against the amendment. Property taxes a pretty much all locally controlled. The state property tax rate is very small, I'd have to look it up but it's 10ths or 100ths of a cent.

If you believe in "home rule" and local control of your dollars then you have the say of who you elect to your County Council, City Council and school boards, they are the ones who pretty much control property taxes.

Also, I'm not a big fan of changing the constitution. I don't believe it's a "living document" and something that sounds great today may not be so good in 30 years.

I'm voting no.

 

[ATOMonkey]

The problem is that your dollars go into a big pot and are then redistributed.

There is no such thing as local control of your tax dollars.

School boards spend as much as they want, then the state will adjust everyone's property tax to fill in the gaps in the budget.

 

[k12lts]

The problem is that your dollars go into a big pot and are then redistributed.

There is no such thing as local control of your tax dollars.

School boards spend as much as they want, then the state will adjust everyone's property tax to fill in the gaps in the budget.

The school general fund (payroll and operating expenses) is funded by the state since the increased the sales tax from 6 to 7%. The only local property tax $$ schools get now are for transportation and debt service.

 

[rmabrey]

If you're just hearing about this for the first time, you either:

1. Don't own property
2. Don't watch local news
3. Don't read newpapers of any kind
4. Haven't recieved a gigantic tax increase.

Pretty much all of those

 

[Security122]

A lot of food for thought presented here. I did a knee jerk reaction and voted early in favor of #1. Now I am not so sure I did the right thing, even though limiting taxes still sounds good. I hope someone cancels out my vote if this is actually a bad idea.