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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Steele announces results of 2008 legislative survey
(STATEHOUSE) – Results of this year’s legislative survey show a majority of Hoosiers in Senate District 44 support alternative revenue sources to fund local government and reduced government spending to help solve the state’s property tax crisis. Sen. Brent Steele (R-Bedford) announced today results from his survey, which focused on proposed legislation aimed at resolving the property tax crisis. Property taxes are collected and spent at the local level and are used to fund public K-12 schools, fire, police, libraries, city, town, township and county governments.
Several property tax proposals are currently under consideration:
- Of the more than 1,600 who responded, a majority support a plan that would increase sales taxes by up to 1 percent and local option income taxes by an average of 0.6 percent to 0.7 percent to permanently cut property taxes on owner-occupied homes by a statewide average of 50 percent.
- A plan increasing sales taxes from 6 percent to 7 percent to permanently cut property taxes on owner-occupied homes was preferred by 23 percent. This plan would reduce property taxes by a statewide average of 38 percent.
- Using an increase in sales taxes from 6 percent to 13.2 percent to completely eliminate property taxes was favored by only 12 percent, while 4 percent would rather use an increase in income taxes from 3.4 percent to 9 percent.
Gov. Mitch Daniels proposed capping property taxes at 1 percent for residential, 2 percent for rental/non-homestead residential and 3 percent for business and personal property. A majority of those surveyed support Daniels’ plan.
More than 80 percent of respondents support a measure shifting remaining school operating costs and child welfare costs from property taxes to the state budget, while a large majority of respondents also support proposals to create one assessor per county and protect the tax-exempt status of churches through a constitutional amendment.
Steele serves Senate District 44, which includes Lawrence and Jackson counties as well as portions on Monroe, Orange and Washington counties.
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