Property taxes have been the topic that Iowa legislators have been tackling recently.

Senator for District 12 Amy Sinclair says that there’s already been one bill that was passed that corrected an issue from the Iowa Department of Management. She adds that it was passed fairly quickly so that local governments like city councils and county supervisors could get their budgets finalized for the upcoming fiscal year. Sinclair tells Raccoon Valley Radio that there are two other bills pertaining to property taxes currently in the Senate.

“The first bill is Senate Study Bill 1124. It’s the first phase of property tax relief and it’s aimed at controlling the growth of property taxes as well as fixing the foundation of Iowa’s property tax system and streamlining that system that we have. The second bill is Senate Study Bill 1125, and that’s the next phase in property tax relief. It’s focused on restructuring local government revenue streams, reforming the system, and then bringing real relief to Iowa’s property tax payers.”

Sinclair mentions that the bills look at simplifying, consolidating and putting caps on tax levies. She adds that Senate Study Bill 1125 changes the formula for property taxes, so that less of a home’s value is taxed.