Property Taxes Heating Up A Taxpayers Wait

Are you watching the unfolding drama on property taxes inside the Indiana Statehouse? I sure am and boy is it interesting.

A few observations:

• Gov. Mike Braun is in the spotlight. He ran and won the office last fall by convincing Hoosiers he was going to do something about property taxes and ridiculous government spending. To be sure, Braun appears to be backpedaling a bit. He is talking about finding answers that are “minimally” enough. What happened to the big talk about being a fighter and really making a difference in spending?
• Along those lines, he’s asked departments across the board to reduce their budgets by 5 percent. Really? Five percent? With the way government spends our money, isn’t that a little like me losing a couple of pounds back when I tipped the scales at 330?
• A lot of people are asking where the fight is that Braun talked about both on the campaign trail and on the Statehouse floor not too long ago when a thousand or so folks showed up to show how strongly they feel about runaway property taxes? Mr. Governor – I understand in those hallowed Statehouse halls it’s all about proper decorum and niceties. But your constituents are pretty fed up with decorum, niceties and exploding property taxes. A little more of that “fight” you talked about would be welcomed. Just saying.
• Braun started out talking about resetting property taxes back five years. THAT got everyone’s attention as well as got a lot of Hoosiers excited. However, that also was a call to arms to the lobbyists who represent Hoosier cities, towns, counties, townships and schools. We all know how it works. If you get to keep more of your money, that means the government gets less. One side or the other is going to feel pain. That is a fact. The lobbyists and (so far) the politicians have decided that will be you. We’ll see if that changes before the legislature wraps up.
• And along THOSE lines, while the government is choosing you to feel the pain instead of them, they are also saying something else. During tough times, the ones who bear the brunt are taxpayers. That’s just wrong. When belts have to get tightened, our government should never tighten after we do, or less than we do. It’s not that complicated.
• Ultimately, what started as property tax reform has turned into property tax rerun. And like the stale re-runs we see on TV, we all know how things turn out.
• Another VERY interesting angle is that Braun’s next political opponent could well be just down the hall (well, up the stairs and across the hall) in Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith. A quick review – Beckwith campaigned for and won the lieutenant governor’s nod at the convention, despite Braun hand picking Rep. Julie McGuire. Beckwith campaigned extensively around the state and his conservative, Christian, common sense platform won favor with Hoosiers. LOTS of Hoosiers. If Braun backs off on property taxes now, he’ll very likely be a one-term governor and his replacement could easily be Beckwith.

So many questions, so few answers. It’d be easy to say this is going to go like it always does. A few folks will make noise and jump up and down, but ultimately we’ll take what our overlords (uh, I mean elected representatives) hand us.

Or not.

Mind you, I’m not saying there is hope. But the reality is the political climate has changed. Thanks to DOGE shining the light on outrageous examples of our tax dollars being utterly squandered, people are paying more attention . . . and are more fed up.

Here’s a big question for Republicans – and more importantly, voters. Do you remember when the GOP was the party of limited government and tax cuts? What happened to that? Don’t forget that the Republicans have a super majority in the Statehouse. They can literally do whatever they want.

That’s the thing you should not forget. They ARE doing whatever they want. They are not coming up with property tax reform of any significance. They are not resetting property taxes back five years like Braun said. They are not putting Hoosiers’ concerns ahead of their pals in other sectors of the government.

They are showing you exactly what they want and what is important to them

Let’s not forget we’re not asking the impossible. Several states have found ways to make low property taxes work. Nine states have found ways to survive without income taxes. Heck, Florida has no income tax and now is exploring how to eliminate property taxes.

Why can’t we?

Because legislators are giving lobbyists, special interests and local governments priority while chucking you and all us other taxpaying schmucks in a well so deep and dark that not even Lassie will be able to find us.

If we are truly going to get government – at all levels – back on the right path, it’s not going to happen little by little. Debate the chainsaw vs. scalpel approach all you want, but the scalpel accomplishes very little. Besides, there is enough fat in most government budgets that big cuts from a chainsaw can be handled.

I’ve worked with dozens of mayors, council people, superintendents and the like over the years. For the most part, they were smart and sharp people. Tell them they have less money to work with – a lot less – and they’ll figure it out.

Maybe that means a statue or two less in Carmel? Maybe we don’t replace that intersection with a roundabout. Maybe we don’t hold off on that new annex? Maybe they renegotiate a contract or three. Whatever. Those in charge can figure it out – if they are willing.

Today’s scribbles started with saying the spotlight is on Braun. He could go from hero to zero or anywhere in between. Just one vagabond newspaper guy’s opinion, but Braun is going to have to choose between legislators and taxpayers. And to be sure, that doesn’t mean property tax reform will win out. Just because the governor says it doesn’t mean it’ll happen. There’s that pesky executive / legislative branch thing (are you listening Mr. Trump?). But Braun can and should veto anything with a “minimal” amount of property tax relief. If the legislators don’t deliver real reform, Braun should step up and call a special session. He should make it clear that he is fighting for us, and those in the chambers of the House and Senate are not. They can override him, but if they do I’d hate to be in their shoes when the next campaign rolls around.

Until then, government is doing what government always does. Saying one thing and doing another. The big question is – when will we (and our governor) stop putting up with it?

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at [email protected].