Top Republicans in the Iowa Legislature say property tax relief will be their number one priority in the upcoming legislative session.
House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, says lawmakers haven’t settled on a proposal yet. But he wants a bold and aggressive approach with the goal of providing certainty for taxpayers.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, says Democrats would also like to work on lowering property taxes. She says the needs of cities and counties have to be considered in that process.
“One of my city leaders said to me, ‘Do you want me to cut police or fire?’ I mean, these are real decisions that cities are having to make. So, we have to balance that with the property tax bill at the end of the day.”
Konfrst also says the Legislature shouldn’t go too far in taking away local control from city and county officials, who were elected to handle local taxes and budgets.