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Bill would add $100,000 tax-example to preliminary local budgets to ease taxpayer confusion
Summary
Representative Greg Oblander said House Bill 37 would require preliminary budgets to show prior-year tax amounts and current estimated tax amounts calculated on a $100,000 residential value to give taxpayers a clear side-by-side comparison and reduce confusion about property-tax changes.
Representative Greg Oblander introduced House Bill 37 to the Senate Local Government Committee as a transparency measure for preliminary budgets. "The preliminary annual operating budget must include the property taxes levied on a $100,000 of residential property value from all mills levied by the government entity in the prior budget year and the estimated property taxes to be levied under the preliminary annual operating budget on a $100,000 of residential property value," Oblander said, summarizing key statutory language he seeks to insert.
Oblander said the intent is to reduce the 'sticker shock' taxpayers experienced on recent property-tax statements by offering a single, easy-to-understand comparison point and to cut down on courthouse phone calls asking clerks to explain complicated multi-tier examples. "We felt that people are bright enough to see what their tax would be on a $100,000," he said, noting the change removes prior multiple-tier examples (e.g., $100,000, $300,000, $600,000) in favor of one clear baseline.
Bryce Kautz, Bureau Chief for the Property Assessment Division, was available as an informational witness and took committee questions. Senators generally described the bill as straightforward; Senator Hertz noted it fixed a prior concern and the sponsor requested the committee pass the bill. The committee closed the hearing on HB37 with no recorded vote during the session.
