State closer to session on tax relief

By Lesley Stedman Weidenbener
lstedman@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels formally asked leaders of the General Assembly yesterday to consider changes that would speed up property-tax relief and allow counties to target it to those hit hardest by big bills.

Daniels stopped short of calling the Indiana House and Senate into a special session but seems willing to do so -- if he receives some positive response to his ideas from lawmakers.

"The property tax increases that some are experiencing are highly localized, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer," Daniels said in a letter to legislative leaders. "I believe taxpayers and their locally elected representatives are in the best position to determine the relief plan that most fits their needs."

His proposals received mixed reviews from lawmakers, who already allocate more than $2 billion annually to try to keep property-tax bills lower.

"We clearly have people who are in distress, and we as public servants need to do everything we can to alleviate their situations," said Senate Minority Leader Richard Young, D-Milltown. "We're willing to meet with the governor, but the devil is always in the details."

This year, homeowners' tax bills were projected to increase an average of 24 percent. But in some counties where the bills already have been finalized and mailed, the increases have been larger and have hit some homeowners especially hard.

Read more on the property tax debate at the Courier - Journal.com