Conference negotiators tentatively back 3%‑or‑formula tax cap, 80% local vote and tiered ASTRA payments

Conference negotiators working on bill 2125 discussed three mechanisms to limit local property‑tax increases and reached a tentative compromise to draft language that would set the threshold at the lower of a flat 3% or the House formula, require an 80% vote of elected members of the governing body to exceed that threshold, and create tiered distributions of ASTRA funds to reward jurisdictions that remain revenue neutral or stay below specified thresholds.

The discussion centered on three options the conference has considered: a citizen protest petition process the House adopted, a voter election tied to primary or mail ballots, and a requirement that the local governing board approve any budget that exceeds the limit by a supermajority. Eddie (staff member) summarized the House approach as a petition process in which the taxing jurisdiction certifies a budget that exceeds the limit to the county treasurer, the treasurer posts notice, qualified voters have 30 days to sign a protest petition, and if signatures equal at least 10% of the votes cast in the most recent presidential general election the taxing entity must amend its budget down to the…