Hawkeye Reporter

A recent poll conducted by Iowans for Tax Relief found that 63.4% of Iowans believe that property taxes are too high, while 22.9% said property taxes are “about right” and 3.1% said they were too low.

With a majority objecting to their tax bills, it seems possible to do something about that. Iowans for Tax Relief Vice President Chris Hagenow, a former state legislator, said residents must speak up and push for lower taxes.

“Iowans need to engage at the local level and demand answers from their local elected officials, and also vote out of office those that cannot provide justification for these ever-increasing tax bills,” Hagenow told Hawkeye Reporter.

The trend in Iowa is for local governments to raise property taxes. It’s not always done with levy increases, he said.

“In recent years, Iowans’ property tax assessments have grown dramatically, which automatically increases our tax bill,” Hagenow said. “Even with unchanged or slightly reduced levy rates, Iowans are subjected to substantial property tax increases.”

Property taxes are raised by school board members, city council members and county supervisors to increase local government spending. According to Iowans for Tax Relief, most property owners believe the main reason for tax increases is the increasing value of their property. This is not the case. Local officials raise the property tax rate beyond the rate of inflation of the value of the property and the enrollment of the associated school district.

Iowans for Tax Relief created a tool for Iowans to view the difference between the increase in their property taxes and the rate of growth for the value of their property. This allows Iowans to determine whether they believe that their property tax increases are justified.

A larger gap between the rates of increase means that local officials are disproportionately increasing property tax rates beyond what is reasonable to sustain the growth of the community.

Hagenow said there are methods that can be deployed to reduce the steady rise of property taxes.

“I expect that the Legislature will consider opportunities to provide Iowans with better tools to hold local government accountable,” he said. “One idea is a truth-in-taxation law like has been implemented in other states like Kansas and Utah. This system would provide Iowans with direct notification of their proposed tax bill before it is acted upon by local government. This system would also include a mechanism for tax rates to be automatically reduced when assessments increase.”

In the end, it’s up to voters to decide if they want to lower their property taxes, Hagenow said.

“Iowans need to elect local government officials that will put the taxpayer first,” he said.

Hagenow is a sixth-generation Iowan who grew up in Cedar Falls, graduated from Northern University High School and the University of Northern Iowa Magna Cum Laude. He earned his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

In addition to working as an attorney, Hagenow served 12 years in the statehouse representing parts of Dallas and Polk counties. During his time at the Capitol, he served as chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, House majority whip and House majority leader.