Poll Results: Iowans agree property taxes should be reviewed

January 23, 2019
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Over two-thirds of Iowans believe property taxes should be reviewed by legislators this year. Iowans for Tax Relief (ITR) released a poll revealing 67.8 percent of all Iowans support the idea. The results indicate the issue has bi-partisan support with 70.7 percent of Republicans, 64.5 percent of Democrats, and 68.2 percent of independents agreeing that state lawmakers should consider property tax reform during this legislative session.

ITR President Chris Ingstad said, “In recent years property owners have seen a large increase in their property tax bills. Since 2000, property taxes across the state are up over 100 percent. In that same time period, Social Security payments to retirees have only increased by about 45 percent and inflation is up a similar amount. Even the general fund spending of the state is up 60 percent. Local spending is outpacing it all.”

The poll also shows a majority of Iowans think that the legislature should establish a property tax cap that limits the annual growth of taxes levied, including 58.5 percent of Republicans, 45.4 percent of Democrats, and 54.9 percent of independents.

Ingstad continued, “Property taxes in Iowa are unaffordable and are one of the largest challenges facing household budgets. Our members tell us that property taxes are complicated, that they are too high, and worst of all, that they force them to consider selling their homes or moving out of Iowa.”

ITR has pointed to Utah’s Truth in Taxation process and New York’s property tax cap, a 2011 law that remains the signature economic achievement for Governor Andrew Cuomo, as examples of effective taxpayer protections. Both states utilize revenue growth limits to protect property owners from huge tax increases due to increased assessments.

ITR’s survey of 863 likely General Election voters statewide was conducted January 15-17, 2019 by Clout Research. It included interviews with voters in both landline and mobile phone-only households and has a margin of error of+/- 3.33 percentage points.

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