[Vision2020] Legislative report

[Shirley Ringo]

Visionaries:

As the session winds down, it appears one of the major issues looming relates to property tax.

 

Legislation providing for property tax deferral has passed both house and senate.  Low income people who qualify can defer property tax payments until the sale of the home, or death of that owner.  If you're interested in reading the details, it is House Bill 680.

 

House Bill 421, which raises the home-owners exemption to $75,000, has now passed both House and Senate.

 

Other issues dealing with property tax are unclear at this time.  The Senate has not accepted the House Bills that would use ½% additional sales tax to replace .15% of the property tax for school M and O.  I was very worried about the particulars of this plan, and will be relieved if it is discarded.  However, the notion of replacing all (.3%) of the M and O by an increase of one and one-fourth percent property tax is still in play.  Again, I am very concerned about the details of such a plan.  It has potential to threaten the stability of public school funding.

 

There is a large omnibus bill involving the use of $50,000,000, mostly for economic development, up for a vote in the Joint Finance Committee next week.  Part of that relates to the Governor's spending plan for state parks.  I suspect that the appropriation for parks (Experience Idaho) will be less than the governor's request.  My major concern relates to expenditures needed for maintenance.  There is a backlog of $20,000,000 in needed projects.

 

I have been favorably impressed with response to our concern for the Cedars.  I had an opportunity early in the process to speak to Lance Giles from the Governor's office.  He took immediate action with the Land Board to start the process for appropriate action.

 

We may finish this process next week, so you can look for action on some of these issues soon.

 

Shirley
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