Senate funds tax commissioner's budget, adds salary adjustments and one-time tax-relief admin funding
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Summary
The Senate approved amendments to House Bill 1006 adding $511,800 in ongoing general-fund salary adjustments and $1.5 million in one-time funding for administration of property tax relief programs; the bill passed unanimously 47–0.
Senator Wojcick presented House Bill 1006 as the appropriation for the office of the State Tax Commissioner and described three changes in the Senate amendments: ongoing salary adjustments totaling $511,800, a one-time $1.5 million general-fund appropriation for administration and advertising of property tax relief programs, and an expansion of the primary residence credit to include properties owned through a cooperative.
The sponsor said $215,011 of the $511,800 is for reclassification of FTE positions and $296,789 is for equity adjustments tied to increased responsibilities for administering property tax relief programs. "This is an effort to help provide for that," Wojcick said, explaining higher skill sets and IT demands in the office.
The nut graf: The amendments aim to bolster the tax commissioner's ability to administer existing and forthcoming property tax relief measures by funding staff reclassifications and short-term operating needs for outreach and IT, while extending the primary residence credit to cooperative ownership in a change the sponsor described as having a minimal fiscal impact.
Senator Wojcick gave additional agency background, noting the Tax Commissioner's office administers more than 30 tax types across six divisions, processed about 40,000 primary residence credit applications last year, handled more than 24,000 phone calls, and reported a 99% approval rating for citizens contacting the office. The sponsor urged the Senate to fully fund the amended budget to ensure the department can implement tax relief programs enacted this session.
The Senate adopted the proposed amendment and gave final passage to House Bill 1006. The secretary recorded a final tally of 47 yeas, 0 nays; the bill passed.
Details and fiscal context: The sponsor described the agency as having reduced its FTE count over the past decade but still meeting statutory obligations; specific long-term fiscal estimates for the cooperative expansion were described as "minimal" and "not determined" in floor remarks.