Reply With QuoteWhat did the taxpayers threaten the legislators with to get this passed?
The General Assembly passes property tax deal
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8014821
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - It's the deal angry taxpayers told state legislators to get done or lose their jobs. On Friday, the General Assembly passed a property tax relief bill. It's a story first reported on WISHTV.com.
Republicans and Democrats fought over ways to deliver property tax relief, things like who should get it and how much, but in the end they voted together to make it happen.
The first vote of the day in the state Senate was 40-to-7 in favor of permanent property tax caps of 1% on a home's value. Caps for renters would be set at 2% and business property at 3%.
Then to the Indiana House, an 82-to-17 vote for the governor's plan to cut property taxes by 25-to-30 percent while hiking the sales tax 1%.
A 79-to-20 vote endorsed the permanent caps and then, finally back to the Senate for a vote on the governor's plan.
"Obvioulsy, I am pleased we entered a new era of taxpayer protection in Indiana. It's an historic win for taxpayers, and no more will taxpayers be asked to adjust their tax billed to government's appetite. Government will now need to adjust its spending to what taxpayers can reasonably afford," said Govenor Mitch Daniels.
State lawmakers finished their work for the year Friday evening.
Most of them now go home to campaign, the governor begins his campaign for re-election in earnest, too.
The property tax relief meantime arrives with the May bills, while the sale tax goes up on April first.
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This will raise their state sales tax to 7%
Indiana's state tax rate is a flat 3.4 percent of a taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income.
Local (county) income tax maximum rate is 0.25% (0.5% in Marion County)
What did the taxpayers threaten the legislators with to get this passed?
Protests, media exposure and they had a "Boston Tea Party" dumping of tax bills into the White River!
Hoosiers are very pro-active politically. They have a few politicians that have been in office for eons (Lugar), but they have been known to toss elected officials out on their butts if they feel they are not being listened to. Can you imagine that??????
Originally Posted by cookie
Sure you can, if you get your crap together in this state, and show the political powers in Albany who is the real bosses are.
Riven37
_________
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson
We already have a State Constitutional limitation on property taxes as follows:
NY Const Art VIII, § 10. [Limitation on amount to be raised by real estate taxes for local purposes; exceptions]
Hereafter, in any county, city, village or school district described in this section, the amount to be raised by tax on real estate in any fiscal year, in addition to providing for the interest on and the principal of all indebtedness, shall not exceed an amount equal to the following percentages of the average full valuation of taxable real estate of such county, city, village or school district, less the amount to be raised by tax on real estate in such year for the payment of the interest on and redemption of certificates or other evidence of indebtedness described in paragraphs A and D of section five of this article, or renewals thereof:
(a) any county, for county purposes, one and one-half per centum; provided, however, that the legislature may prescribe a method by which such limitation may be increased to not to exceed two per centum;
(b) any city of one hundred twenty-five thousand or more inhabitants according to the latest federal census, for city purposes, two per centum;
(c) any city having less than one hundred twenty-five thousand inhabitants according to the latest federal census, for city purposes, two per centum;
(d) any village, for village purposes, two per centum;
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the city of New York and the counties therein, for city and county purposes, a combined total of two and one-half per centum.
The average full valuation of taxable real estate of such county, city, village or school district shall be determined by taking the assessed valuations of taxable real estate on the last completed assessment rolls and the four preceding rolls of such county, city, village or school district, and applying thereto the ratio which such assessed valuation on each of such rolls bears to the full valuation, as determined by the state tax commission or by such other state officer or agency as the legislature shall by law direct. The legislature shall prescribe the manner by which such ratio shall be determined by the state tax commission or by such other state officer or agency.
Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to restrict the powers granted to the legislature by other provisions of this constitution to further restrict the powers of any county, city, town, village or school district to levy taxes on real estate.
NY Const Art VIII, § 5. [Ascertainment of debt-incurring power of counties, cities, towns and villages; certain indebtedness to be excluded]
In ascertaining the power of a county, city, town or village to contract indebtedness, there shall be excluded:
A. Certificates or other evidences of indebtedness (except serial bonds of an issue having a maximum maturity of more than two years) issued for purposes other than the financing of capital improvements and contracted to be redeemed in one of the two fiscal years immediately succeeding the year of their issue, and certificates or other evidences of indebtedness issued in any fiscal year in anticipation of (a) the collection of taxes on real estate for amounts theretofore actually levied and uncollected or to be levied in such year and payable out of such taxes, (b) moneys receivable from the state which have theretofore been apportioned by the state or which are to be so apportioned within one year after their issue and (c) the collection of any other taxes due and payable or to become due and payable within one year or of other revenues to be received within one year after their issue; excepting any such certificates or other evidences of indebtedness or renewals thereof which are not retired within five years after their date of original issue.
B. Indebtedness heretofore or hereafter contracted to provide for the supply of water.
C. Indebtedness heretofore or hereafter contracted by any county, city, town or village for a public improvement or part thereof, or service, owned or rendered by such county, city, town or village, annually proportionately to the extent that the same shall have yielded to such county, city, town or village net revenue; provided, however, that such net revenue shall be twenty-five per centum or more of the amount required in such year for the payment of the interest on, amortization of, or payment of, such indebtedness. Such exclusion shall be granted only if the revenues of such public improvement or part thereof, or service, are applied to and actually used for payment of all costs of operation, maintenance and repairs, and payment of the amounts required in such year for interest on and amortization of or redemption of such indebtedness, or such revenues are deposited in a special fund to be used solely for such payments. Any revenues remaining after such payments are made may be used for any lawful purpose of such county, city, town or village, respectively.
Net revenue shall be determined by deducting from gross revenues of the preceding year all costs of operation, maintenance and repairs for such year, or the legislature may provide that net revenue shall be determined by deducting from the average of the gross revenues of not to exceed five of the preceding years during which the public improvement or part thereof, or service, has been in operation, the average of all costs of operation, maintenance and repairs for the same years.
A proportionate exclusion of indebtedness contracted or proposed to be contracted also may be granted for the period from the date when such indebtedness is first contracted or to be contracted for such public improvement or part thereof, or service, through the first year of operation of such public improvement or part thereof, or service. Such exclusion shall be computed in the manner provided in this section on the basis of estimated net revenue which shall be determined by deducting from the gross revenues estimated to be received during the first year of operation of such public improvement or part thereof, or service, all estimated costs of operation, maintenance and repairs for such year. The amount of any such proportionate exclusion shall not exceed seventy-five per centum of the amount which would be excluded if the computation were made on the basis of net revenue instead of estimated net revenue.
Except as otherwise provided herein, the legislature shall prescribe the method by which and the terms and conditions under which the proportionate amount of any such indebtedness to be so excluded shall be determined and no proportionate amount of such indebtedness shall be excluded except in accordance with such determination. The legislature may provide that the state comptroller shall make such determination or it may confer appropriate jurisdiction on the appellate division of the supreme court in the judicial departments in which such counties, cities, towns or villages are located for the purpose of determining the proportionate amount of any such indebtedness to be so excluded.
The provisions of this paragraph C shall not affect or impair any existing exclusions of indebtedness, or the power to exclude indebtedness, granted by any other provision of this constitution.
D. Serial bonds, issued by any county, city, town or village which now maintains a pension or retirement system or fund which is not on an actuarial reserve basis with current payments to the reserve adequate to provide for all current accruing liabilities. Such bonds shall not exceed in the aggregate an amount sufficient to provide for the payment of the liabilities of such system or fund, accrued on the date of issuing such bonds, both on account of pensioners on the pension roll on that date and prospective pensions to dependents of such pensioners and on account of prior service of active members of such system or fund on that date. Such bonds or the proceeds thereof shall be deposited in such system or fund. Each such pension or retirement system or fund thereafter shall be maintained on an actuarial reserve basis with current payments to the reserve adequate to provide for all current accruing liabilities.
E. Indebtedness contracted on or after January first, nineteen hundred sixty-two and prior to January first, two thousand [fig 1] fourteen, for the construction or reconstruction of facilities for the conveyance, treatment and disposal of sewage. The legislature shall prescribe the method by which and the terms and conditions under which the amount of any such indebtedness to be excluded shall be determined, and no such indebtedness shall be excluded except in accordance with such determination.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
Yes, we do have limits. What we don't have is a State Government that listens to constituents and adjusts spending according to what the taxpayer is willing to pay by reducing property taxes while keeping sales and local taxes at a reasonable level.
Actually, what we have in this state is two states: the NYC metro and the rest of the state. Downstate legislators and governors don't realize that what seem to be reasonable costs for metro NY aren't reasonable for upstate.
The State has no power to levy property taxes. That is the Counties, Towns, Villages and school districts. It is these entities that also share in and levy at least half of the sales taxes.
If you want to cut down on taxes we need to eliminate unfunded mandates and discretionary spending and borrowing at the local level.
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson
It needs to be done at both levels. I see counties that are thriving in New York. I see others that are failing miserably.
Then I see a multi BILLION dollar deficit in State Government.
That indicates a serious problem, and it can't be blamed on 9/11, either. It's stupid, fluffy programs and patronage.
This is the type of tax revolt I would like to see around here, this is what would send the message. The only thing that these people will understand is ACTION, not just talking.
You want to make the news in a positive way to get the rest of the country talking about Buffalo? We organize a real tax revolt where we picket county hall, we picket the homes of politicians, we picket town halls, village halls, and city halls. We picket in Albany. We protest. We conduct news interviews.
WE STOP VOTING FOR IDIOTS!
We could be sending a strong message to candidates this fall. We have several months to do it. The problem with this area is people just want to complain and conclude that they can't solve the problem.
The people are the MONEY.
So if we wanted to organize something like this, I'd be a part of it. This is the type of thing this site SHOULD be doing!
http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~
I think you may have missed what I was saying. I never said that the state levies property taxes. The state legislature creates programs (mandates) and expects the localities to pay for them. While the costs may not be too much for NYC area local governments because of the larger tax bases as well as higher income levels there, the cost of these same programs can be devastating to the local governments upstate. I think that the Medicaid program is a major case in point.
loool yeah right....lol you keep believing that lol..."Psst, they can do anything." lol
Riven37
_________
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson
The tax bills they dumped into the White River, were they paid or unpaid tax bills.
I've been contemplating a WNY, NYS tax protest where people protested by not paying their property taxes until they got what they wanted. The problem is, I can't find anyone, including lawyers, who can think of a way to do.
It can be done. It has to be done en masse or those who do it will be prosecuted.
One tool they used- they filed a lawsuit against the state. You can read the particulars here:
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=7035035
In Indiana, the matter involved property taxes which are governed by the State.I know it is different than here, but what I found compelling is the concept of people actually rebelling and that the Mayor of Indy, who was considered a hands-down incumbent, was voted out of office because of his response, or lack of, to the problem.
As to whether the tax bills dumped in the river were paid or not, I don't know. I do know there were also many reports of taxpayers paying their bill in pennies. They also organized a state-wide garage sale to raise money!
More than likely, the State will be looking for new sources of income, but in the meantime, far less people will be losing their homes due to inability to pay property taxes. Marion county alone has close to 8000 abandoned houses, and with the sub-prime situation, I'm guessing they knew they would be facing many more just from mortgage foreclosures and didn't want to add tax foreclosures into the mix.
All in all, I'm just amazed at the fact that enough people decided they were fed up enough and made an orchestrated protest that made the elected officials stand up and take action!
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