Representative presented House Bill 37 to the Local Government Subcommittee, saying the bill seeks to increase transparency by including an estimate of property taxes levied on a $100,000 home in municipal preliminary operating budgets. "The intent of this bill is to try and make it so when you get your tax statement, you get last year's with this year's," the sponsor said, adding that showing a standardized $100,000 measure will give taxpayers a reference point to compare changes in mills and estimated taxes.

The sponsor told members the change grew out of the interim local government committee and that the committee supported the approach; staff later confirmed the interim committee vote was unanimous. Bryce Kautz, a bureau chief with the Property Assessment Division, appeared as an informational witness and was available to answer technical questions.

Committee members asked whether the $100,000 metric would be misleading for very high-value properties because of non-linear tax-rate structures and whether capital outlay and utilities would be reflected; staff clarified that the bill adds a standardized illustrative line to existing preliminary-budget components, and that the other budget-classification language on page 12 of the draft is existing law unchanged by this bill. The sponsor said the measure is intended as an estimate to reduce taxpayers' "sticker shock" when bills arrive.

No proponents or opponents appeared in the hearing beyond informational staff, and the committee did not take formal action at this meeting.