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State Representative Tim Faust
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0518
For more information contact: Chris Shields 651-296-8873
NEWS COLUMN
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
It's safe to say that no matter where you live in Minnesota, you're fed up with the outrageous increases in property taxes over the last four years. I recently learned that if the state Legislature doesn't act this year, it's going to get even worse. The non-partisan research office at the Minnesota House of Representatives reported that under current law, property taxes are expected to rise by more than $600 million in 2008. That's the largest increase in state history. Closer to home, we could expect our property taxes to go up by about 10 percent, higher than the state average.
With all this talk you hear about the budget being balanced, it makes you wonder why property taxes keep going up. As you know, I've never been shy about giving the Governor credit when he does something right. So I think I've earned the right to criticize him when he is in the wrong. In 2003, the state faced a budget deficit. In football, this would've been a 4th and 1 play. Instead of digging in and going the extra yard to solve the problem, the Governor and Republicans, who until this past January controlled the Minnesota House, punted. They punted to our schools by depriving them of the state money that used to keep both class sizes and property taxes down. They punted to cities, towns, and counties, by cutting off state aid and forcing property taxes up and police and fire protection down. They punted to working Minnesotans and forced property taxes up by hundreds of millions of dollars. Any balanced budget has come off the backs of working Minnesotans.
I'm no fan of property taxes. The amount you pay doesn't have anything to do with how much you actually can afford to pay. Even if you lose your job or take a pay cut, your property taxes can still go up. It also hurts those of us in Greater Minnesota even harder than others, especially farmers.
Fortunately, the projections for 2008 can change if we act this year. The new leadership in the House has already created a committee that is dedicated to permanent property tax relief. I discussed the issue with the committee's chair, Rep. Paul Marquart from Dilworth, and told him this year's property tax relief bill needs to do two things. Middle-income earners shouldn't have their property taxes increase and the lowest income Minnesotans should see their taxes go down. He agreed with me and said that is the committee's top priority.
We should be having honest debates about how government invests tax dollars. However, I think we need to put the debate on how those tax dollars are collected to rest. Property taxes are not the answer. Working Minnesotans can't afford another half billion dollars in property taxes. So here we are again at 4th and 1, but this time there's a new team on the field and I for one will be going for it, not punting it away.
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