The best way to help Iowa’s employers to begin hiring people and investing in their businesses is to do two things: address property taxes and keep control of government spending.
Property tax reform provides savings for individuals and businesses and it provides certainty for those same people as the plan for their futures.
Controlling government spending by spending less than the government receives demonstrates a commitment to common sense budgeting and economic health that employers deserve. The threat of higher taxes needs to be removed.
Over the last ten years school rates have increased 60 percent, county rates 64 percent, and city rates are up 74 percent. Over that same time period, personal income only grew 46 percent.
Iowa families and Iowa employers are struggling with this burden and furthermore, it is impeding job growth and hurting the economic health of our communities.
Any property tax reform plan approved by the Legislature must make sure everyone benefits, homeowners and business owners, and that everyone is playing by the rules.
Doing nothing is not an option. The rollback has turned into the roll-up and the burden on homeowners is growing at a substantially faster rate than what their incomes are growing. We must address this. The consequence of doing nothing is a huge tax increase on all Iowans. The benefit of achieving genuine reform is jobs, savings and certainty.
Our goal is to have a property tax system and state budget that contributes instead of takes away from economic, family and community health. Iowans deserve quality jobs that will develop into careers. They deserve the peace of mind to plan for their futures.
Iowa’s employers need a commitment from the Legislature to keep government spending under control. Spending more than the state takes in sets up individuals and employers for tax increases. They need the certainty this will not happen.