The following is a legislative update from Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City:
A bill moving through the Iowa Senate would break promises that the Legislature made to taxpayers just five years ago.
In 2013, the Legislature approved the largest property tax cut in Iowa history. At the same time, the law was changed to require the state to reimburse cities, counties and school districts for lost revenue that came from reducing property tax rates.
This year, SF 2081 would end the money that the state agreed to pay to cities, counties and schools for those property tax decreases.
The bill could cut reimbursements by up to one-third each year until they’re phased out completely. This would force communities to raise property taxes or make drastic cuts to police, fire and other emergency services, road and bridge maintenance, drinking water systems and other important services.
Our small towns and rural communities especially count on the “backfill” dollars. Of Iowa’s 942 cities, 82 percent have populations below 2,000.
The Iowa League of Cities, the Iowa Association of Counties and many others oppose the Legislature breaking its promise to Iowa taxpayers.
You can find how much your school district, city and county will lose through a searchable list on the Iowa Senate Democrats website: www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats.
The Iowa House is also working on a proposal to go back on promised dollars to local governments (HSB 678).
If you are concerned about the state taking back this $152 million commitment to property taxpayers and local governments, contact your legislators to let them know how this broken promise impacts you.
UPCOMING PUBLIC FORUMS
Mason City Listening Post
March 10 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Mason City Public Library, 225 2nd St SE
Legislative Forum – Clear Lake
March 23 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company, 322 Main Ave
24 thoughts on “Senator Ragan slams bills that would end state’s payments to cities to cover lost revenues from property tax cut”
Only dodgeing a small business does it to try to make a living – how about you farmers are put on the same playing field with the rest of the tax payers? You know if you loophole your farm earnings and claim no profit YOU pay NO property taxes – thats discrimination and should stop – small business owners pays property taxes along with all the other property owners weather they make money or NOT.
I don’t see a difference. Many small business owners abuse tax write-offs and pay nothing in taxes. The very same goes for farmers. Both take and take an take from taxpayers and contribute nothing to tax coffers.
The only way not to pay property taxes is for you to pay them. Do some research and get some facts before you start writing fairy tales!
Little guy has not benefited from Iowa’s small business tax reform ? – your a damn liar! I am a small business owner and the CRUMBS – as you demorats call them are greatly appreciated by us POOR FOLK !
Your tax credit has done nothing to strengthen Iowa’s economy. Economic growth does not follow a low tax environment – the reverse actually is true. The commercial property tax reform is a train wreck. It has not grown Iowa’s economy (we’re 40-something in this country for economic growth) and is defunding institutions (education ion, economic development incentives) that would actually create economic growth.
Bod – Tax breaks for corporations – Do you mean the farmers – oh ! Of course that being the Iowa legislature is comprised of people who own farmland or agriculture businesses ?? GET REAL snowflake.
The small business tax BREAKi IS only for SMALL BUSINESS – 50 EMPLOYEES AND UNDER – SO Walmart -Hyvee etc. NEVER WERE GIVEN THE TAX BREAK so quit sprewing your demogog lies and BS to the small business owners and public. – Besides that – lookup the word CUT and expenses – something the city/state/federal elected officals run from so they can line their pockets and the people who line their pockets. Most of these elected officials are not qualified for their positions or just maybe California STUPID.
False. The commercial property tax reform is for ALL commercial property in perpetuity. Walmart and Target are the beneficiaries while a small business owner saves a couple hundred bucks a year. You are confusing a small business tax credit from the commercial property tax reform.
Please tell me you don’t vote. That’s what’s really wrong with this country. Everybody’s vote counts exactly the same. The guy with a masters degree in finance who pays out the wazoo each year in taxes…his vote counts just the same as a high school graduate ‘small business’ owner who dodges all his tax liabilities by write offs.
How much money did the state of Iowa spend on illegals last year and prior years ? The democratic party puts the illegals ahead of its own citizens – of course for their vote to keep these slimeballs in office to fleece the pubic – prime example California – once called the Golden State – well the politicans sold the gold/pocketed the money and now thousands of their communities are homeless/ shiting in the streets and brainwashed stupid sheeple.
California as a State has an economy larger most countries. It is has a diverse economy and millions of this countries highest paying jobs. They are obviously doing something VERY right.
Meanwhile in Iowa…We can’t balance our budget despite a red hot national economy and our elected officials spend their time creating legislation banning abortion and requiring bible study in public schools ?!?! Which state is really the shithole????
Liberals are people so open minded their brains have fallen out.
Wow. Amazing response. You must be super smart.
Smarter than you will ever be.
Clearly. You must be the smartest person in north iowa and way smarter than anyone from California. That’s why you work for whatever the man will pay you while Cali can only offer jobs like Google, Apple, and Chevron.
Why don’t you start taxing agriculture property the same as any business – their property tax is based on their income per yer – LOW or NO profit means they pay a reduced property tax or NO property tax if the broke even or lost money which is usually the case with loop holes for the LLC corporations such as farmers – Not to mention the 8-10 BILLION dollars they receive in Federal subsides every year The demorats – OH its a red hot economy! Fact – it went down hill for 20 years and now that Trump is turning it around for the little guy the democrats at first lite pounce on the tax relief plan immediately to take what crumbs we are grateful to get. Demcrats are all about themselves and greed. They use the words SCHOOLS and KIDS to line their fat cat pockets and screw the private sector. OLD HAG REGAN is just a lobbyist for the Union based TEACHERS UNION that continually drain the private sectors pockets for their own rewards $$$$$. Make some cuts – forgo your 5 % yearly increase in salary that the private sector who pays your fat cat salaries and benefit have not seen in 20 years. Move to California where everything is great according to your brainwashed democrat party leaders.
The ‘little guy’ has not benefitted from the commercial property tax reforms the state implemented a few years back. Places like Walmart, Hyvee, and Principal have strengthened their balance sheets though. The commercial property tax reform has been a disaster and if you don’t see why, you really need to better educate yourself.
Now, I do agree this state must do a better job of taxing agricultural property. Farmers take and take and take from taxpayers, yet contribute next to nothing.
The commercial property tax reforms have been a total train wreck for this state (it is the reason Iowa can’t balance its budget despite a red hot national economy) and now residential property taxes WILL increase to compensate for this disaster.
The Sheeple of Iowa need to stop voting along a party line. Poor legislation like to his one is what you get when you simply vote for whoever has a R by their name rather than being a educated voter.
“The bill could cut reimbursements by up to one-third each year until they’re phased out completely. This would force communities to raise property taxes or make drastic cuts to police, fire and other emergency services, road and bridge maintenance, drinking water systems and other important services.”
Your reading ability and comprehension are sorely lacking. I am sure when your property taxes go back to where they were, and you can’t find a police officer to help you find your lost cat, and a bridge crumbles into the water, and you have to buy all your drinking water, you will blame the Democrats.
If NIACC didn’t allow some of it’s staff to have their family members attend tuition free, then maybe, NIACC wouldn’t have to levy as much tax as they do.
That is funny. if the state didn’t hand millions and millions of dollars to corporations through tax rebates and incentives, maybe we wouldn’t have to pay as much tax ourselves.
No, what’s funny is how right the poster was. If NIACC didn’t give away so much free tuition to its staff members, they might not have to levy for as much money as they do.
What is funny is how you shy away from anything people point out that about your fat-cat wages & retirement funds. Oh, its because you love the children and wanted to make a difference, I forgot. But you wouldn’t have loved those children near as much if you made 50% less in wages and the perks.. No, then it would have been a different story.
Fat cat wages???? Over the past 40 years the state of Iowa had one of the lowest averages for teacher pay in the nation. First year tradesmen generally earned more than a teacher who had 10+ years of experience. Advancement opportunities? None really unless you wanted to become an administrator. Average workweek? 40-60 hours per week Overtime pay? Ha ha. Medical yes but at a70/30 split. Job security? Nope. Clientele? Responsible for between 140-200 clients per day, many of whom were not operating at 100%. Extra duty pay? About $1.25 per hour. Honors/awards/bonuses? Never Sounds like a glamorous job, doesn’t it? Teachers do love the kids they teach and they love their jobs. You pay them 1/2 what they are getting now you would have a lot fewer teachers . Not because they would ‘love’ the children less but because they barely made it by with their regular, just above the poverty line wages. Less than that even love for the job gets trumped by family responsibility. Why didn’t you get into teaching rather than wasting away in whatever mundane job you had? The answer to that question usually says a lot about the respondent so think about it for a couple of seconds.
Oh boo hoo poor bodacious has it sooooo bad. How long does a teacher work, maybe 6 – 7 months outta the year. Remember its for them kids.
I didn’t ask for your boo hoos. I want to know why you didn’t go into that field rather than the mundane job you hold.