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State Representative Michael Beard
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8872
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION DELIVERS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
The 2008 legislative session has come to a close. This was the first time in several years that members of both parties could come together and take credit for a lot of good things that will benefit Minnesotans. A balanced budget, property taxes and health care reform top the lists of accomplishments.
If I had to name one item that I am most proud of this session it would be property tax relief. We added $25 million into the property tax refund program that will give bigger refund to qualifying property tax payers. A lot of people are not even aware that they can get a state refund for part of their property taxes, so I hope this helps make that program more publicized. You can visit www.taxes.state.mn.us for all the information about the program and download the forms you’ll need to file for the refund, if you are eligible.
The second element of our property tax relief plan is a 3.9 percent limit on property tax increases. This should help keep increases in check for the next three years. To accommodate the concerns of local governments, we allowed several exceptions to the limit. One of those exceptions would be so they can afford to hire new public safety officers. We want to make sure that this cap on property tax increases does not force cities to compromise efforts to protect the public.
Taxpayers will also benefit from the fact that we balanced a $935 million budget deficit without raising taxes. When I think of all the things putting pressure on people’s budgets – gas prices, groceries, energy costs, to name a few – I strongly believe that government should not add itself to that list. Our goal right now should be to provide tax relief, which we did, and keep government from becoming so large and overreaching that it hinders the economy’s ability to rebound. On the later, I think we make some good progress but there is always more we can do.
We also took steps in the right direction in health care by making health care more affordable and getting markets in the private sector more involved. Small business receive good news from the plan as it provides tax credits for individuals and small employers who enroll in Section 125 plans, and provides grants to encourage employers to set up 125 plans – which will lead to federal and state tax deductions.
We should all celebrate the productive session with caution. The state is facing a more than $1 billion deficit next year. We need a strong, stable economy that provides good-paying jobs for families. There were numerous proposals designed to help private sector businesses succeed in Minnesota or move their operations here from other states. Although these did not pass, they helped draw the attention to the need for a strong economic package in the 2009 legislative session.
It was an honor and privilege to represent this year at the State Capitol.
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