The Idaho Senate has killed legislation to impose a one-year, statewide freeze on property taxes over warnings from city and county governments that the effects could be devastating.
The Senate today voted 24-11 in rejecting the bill that backers say is needed to find a way to reduce residential property taxes. The House previously passed the bill.
Property taxes have become a top issue this legislative session as explosive growth in many parts of Idaho has caused property values to increase, forcing up taxes. Republicans and Democrats are calling it a crisis but differ on ways to solve the problem.
Republican House Majority Leader Mile Moyle sponsored the legislation, saying the freeze would give state lawmakers and local government officials time to work out a solution.
City and county governments have said freezing property taxes won’t freeze expenses. Democratic Senator David Nelson, of Moscow, says the bill failed on the Senate floor because it was trying to fix the wrong problem. Nelson said residential property taxes are going up because they are increasing at a much faster rate than commercial property, not because cities and counties are wasteful and inefficient. (AP, Idaho Democratic Caucus)
