Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Legislation Property Tax Reform topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whitestown consultant outlines likely local impacts as Senate Bill 1 advances
Summary
Town consultant Mark Schublak told the Whitestown Town Council that Senate Bill 1 — a sweeping property tax reform bill — recently adopted amendment 36 and will change how local property and TIF revenues are calculated, potentially reducing revenues for fast-growing communities and prompting local officials to consider other revenue options.
Mark Schublak, an attorney with Taft Law, briefed the Whitestown Town Council on state legislation the firm is tracking, with a focus on Senate Bill 1, a property tax reform package that he said had adopted “amendment 36” earlier that day.
Schublak said amendment 36 restores a 30% floor for business personal property reductions after an earlier draft would have removed all business personal property tax. “On average, about two thirds of taxpayers will realize somewhere between $100 and $300 tax relief annually,” he said, adding that communities vary and Whitestown will need a tailored assessment. He also warned the bill could affect tax increment financing (TIF) districts: the measure includes language allowing the Department of Local Government Finance to neutralize windfalls to TIF districts.
The consultant told council members the bill would remove a three-year levy growth appeal process that fast-growing municipalities now use to capture assessed-value growth for operating levies. “That is one of the primary mechanisms for fast-growing communities like Whitestown to right-size its property tax revenues,” Schublak said. He said that change could force the town to consider other options, such as local-option income tax, to replace revenue currently captured through that process.
Schublak also summarized related bills: Senate Bill 252 (higher Boone County innkeeper tax authority), Senate Bill 516 (repeal of the sunset on regional development authorities), and House Bill 1461 (road funding and township capital improvement plan requirements). On the road bill he said townships would be required to adopt annual capital improvement plans and that certain pavement-rating incentives could reduce required spending on reconstruction from 50% to 40% when ratings meet thresholds.
Schublak cautioned that effective dates in SB1 are delayed — “the effective dates are two years out” — giving municipalities time to model impacts and request technical changes. He said the latest amendment was adopted in the legislature that afternoon and expected potential changes in conference committee. The council and staff were advised to work with the town’s financial advisor to model local fiscal effects.
The presentation closed with a reminder that the General Assembly posts live debate and conference activity online, and Schublak encouraged residents to follow the proceedings.
The remarks were delivered as informational guidance; no formal council action followed the presentation.
