Property taxes the focus of jabs by Democrats and Republicans

Republican and Democrat legislators are trading jabs about property taxes. Republicans like Christopher Rants of Sioux City promise to cut property taxes if they’re elected to the legislature. He says they want to take property taxes off of automatic pilot, they want to fully fund tax credits, they want to limit property taxes and they want to restructure the property tax system. But Democrats say Republicans were the ones who increased Iowans’ property taxes this year with the budget deal that didn’t fully provide the property tax credits for homeowners, the elderly and veterans. Senate Democrat Leader Michael Gronstal of Council Bluffs says Republicans can’t be trusted on the issue.Gronstal says Republicans passed laws that raised property taxes on homeowners, farmers and small business owners. Gronstal says the Republicans have a four-point-plan for property taxes, while the Democrats have a one-point-plan, doing it.Gronstal says Iowans should read Republicans’ record rather than their lips on the property tax issue. Rants is firing back. Rants says Iowans are going to trust Republicans because Republicans are the only ones talking about stopping property tax increases.