County officials say they're being wrongly blamed

Arizona Tax Revolt commentary:

What do Arizona and Indiana have in common? Answer- Out of control property taxation systems.

The difference is that in Indiana the radio, TV and newspapers are not as closely aligned with big government as they are here. By not acknowledging that there is a MUCH better property taxation system (our Tax Revolt initiatives) our Arizona media outlets are doing a huge disservice to all. Arizonan’s.

Government did just fine in California after Prop 13 and it will do so here in Arizona with our measures. Government’s concern is more about the power to tax than it is about tax dollars. The Tax Revolt measures are about both establishing wise and affordable property tax limits, AND reserving to the voters a means to increase taxes or decrease them. And this is how we spell accountability to the taxpayer!

Marc Goldstone, Chair.
Arizona Tax Revolt

Published: January 07, 2008
by Arthur E. Foulkes

Local government officials are on the front line of Indiana’s current property tax revolt.

“We get (angry taxpayers) at the front counter,” said Nancy Marsh, treasurer of Hendricks County.

Some Hoosier property tax bills have increased by $5,000, Marsh said. “That’s not acceptable. Those people definitely have a complaint.”

On top of this, Marsh and other local government elected officials say they are being unfairly blamed for the state’s property tax mess.

“I’d like to shift the blame back to (the state level),” Marsh said. “They are doing a good job shifting (blame) to the counties.”

Gov. Mitch Daniels says Indiana has too much costly local government. And a blue ribbon commission, appointed by Daniels, recently recommended replacing nearly all county-level elected officials, such as auditors, commissioners and sheriffs, with employees appointed by a single elected county executive.

“I don’t know why the counties are on the hit list with the state,” Marsh said. “Everybody knows it’s the schools” where local costs are rising.

Schools account for 75 percent of Hendricks County’s property tax bill, Marsh said. County government accounts for just 10 percent, she said.

“I do think local government is being unfairly accused,” said state Sen. Tim Skinner, D-Terre Haute, ranking Democrat on the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee. The state is just as much to blame as local government, he said. “We’re all in this together,” he said.

Ideas to reform local government should be moved to the back burner, said Howard County Treasurer Martha Lake. Lawmakers should work on property tax relief first and then see what can be done to reform local government, she said.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Lake said.

Skinner, for one, said he does not support a major overhaul of local government.

“Local government is not perfect,” Skinner said, but doing away with county-level elected offices, even township assessors, is an idea Skinner does not support. “I think government is best when it is closest to the people,” Skinner said.