Property taxes & water quality: We must address these issues
“Senator Green, my wife and I are 70 years old and retired. Our property taxes have been going higher to a point that if one of us dies the other would have to sell the house. Are there any tax relief bills or property tax freezes in the works for us senior citizens on fixed incomes to be able to keep our home?” -Constituent.
This is an email I recently received that is common for me to see. Property tax fears have become the number one issue in the state of Iowa. You may have heard about a constitutional amendment (SJR6) I have signed onto that proposes to replace IWILL with a new property tax relief fund. Our budget reflects our priorities, but it has become obvious to me after running a subcommittee for SJR 6 this week, very few people understand the progress we have already made in water quality and outdoor recreational funding.
Since 2010, IWILL has never been enacted and funded. Both parties have had the opportunity to do so, but efforts have fallen short. This doesn’t mean progress hasn’t been made on water quality and outdoor recreation. Republican leadership in Iowa has worked to deliver actual results in these areas. Since 2010 the legislature and Governor have approved:
–$425 million on programs that put scientifically proven water quality practices on the ground.
-Dedicated annual water quality funding with the passage of SF 512, ensuring funding until 2039.
–$41.5 million for recreational trails, supporting our nation-leading system of paved bike trails.
–$316 million to maintain, enhance, and expand our 99 state parks, public hunting land, county conservation board land, and city parks.
The legislature has also established the Destination Iowa program and Community Attractions and Tourism (CAT) grants which provide $20 million combined annually to support recreation and tourism in our state.
The DNR continues to leverage state and federal funding along with revenue from fees for their $461 million annual budget supporting great hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities on both public and private land. State funding is only a portion of the dollars dedicated to water quality and outdoor recreation with millions of dollars annually coming from the federal and local government. In fact, these programs have been so effective that Iowa now leads the nation in water quality wetlands, bioreactors, grassed waterways, buffer and filter strips, conservation tillage, saturated buffers, pollinator habitat, and cover crops.
I believe the top issue on the minds of average Iowans 15 years after they voted on IWILL is the rising costs of living and their ever-increasing property tax bill. During this last election, both parties across the state have heard loud and clear that the number one issue for Iowans is property taxes. Iowa ranks 42nd in the effective property tax rate among the states, according to WalletHub, and this must change.
That is why we’re proposing to amend the Constitutional Amendment from 2010 and replace it with the Property Tax Relief Trust Fund, which will be dedicated to property tax relief for all Iowans. We need to provide relief, an actual cut in property taxes, and this trust fund will do that. This is the priority of Iowans today and I believe that Iowa voters should have that choice at the ballot box. The earliest voters could vote on this amendment is the fall of 2028.
Meanwhile, I will continue to advocate for water quality and conservation efforts within the current general fund due to the immense importance of this issue.
