The Iowa Senate has rejected a bill which would have put in place a new system for calculating property tax increases. The bill would limit increases to a formula based on a variety of factors, including inflation. Senate President Mary Kramer, a republican from West Des Moines, was a surprising “no” vote on the bill. She says it is the job of the voters to limit local government. Kramer says legislators don’t set property tax rates. Kramer says if voters are upset about high property taxes, they need to vote their county officials out of office. It’s unclear whether the bill is dead for the year, or whether it might be debated again if two Senators change their “no” votes to “yes.”
