Should Iowa commercial property be taxed at same rate as residential property?
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Gov. Terry Branstad called Tuesday for toning down the political rhetoric in an effort to enhance the chances that he and the split-control Legislature can forge a compromise agreement to deliver property tax reform this session after two failed attempts.
“This is not Washington, D.C.,” the GOP governor told reporters at a weekly news conference where he was asked about concerns lodged by Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, that Branstad was attempting to “cram” his property tax approach “down the throats” of majority Senate Democrats.
“I’ve never worked that way,” Branstad said. “I’m going to be constructive. We all have to come together.”
The governor said he hoped 2013 would make “the third time the charm” but he expressed concern that the Senate’s tax credit approach did nothing for businesses that rent property and failed to cap the growth on residential and agricultural classes of property while providing relief to commercial property targeted to small and Main Street businesses.
Do you think all Iowa businesses’ property should be taxed at the same rate as residential property, or should the business rate be determined by the size of the property value?
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Small businesses in Iowa need the burden of 100% taxation on their properities reversed! Without some relief many small businesses simply cannot survive. Major projects are being discussed because they know the funding will come on the backs of the small brick & mortar businesses. This state already gives unfair business ( sales) tax exemptions to the on-line companies who take money from this state and give nothing in return! Small town businesses are disappearing and no one seems to care. Soon there will be only the big-box ,corporate giants who care nothing about the communities. If you want a state with 6 major cities and nothing else but bedroom communities keep the current attitude towards small business. Then watch as the states small towns and school systems start to disappear.
The original intent of property tax was to pay for infrastructure needs. Now it has become a catch-all for whatever local chiefs want to spend money on. There is no reason what-so-ever for commercial property to be taxed for schools and social programs. NONE!! Why should a commercial property with 100 employees and tens of millions of dollars of property pay 20 times more for social programs than a business with 100 employees, four walls and 100 telephones?! Yet another example of government stupidity!!