NTF worksheet: anaconda1.doc. 5-19.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM WORKSHEET:
SLAY THE ANACONDA: ELIMINATING NEBRASKA STRANGLING PROPERTY TAXATION.
BACKGROUND. Homeowners, commercial property owners, farmers, and ranchers all have suffered strangling property taxes for years. Homeowners no longer able to afford to live in their homes. Prospective home buyers stalled. Farmers and ranchers no longer able to hold onto acreages owned by their families for several generations, sometimes since the 1800s. An outmigration now of not only senior citizens with limited incomes but also younger generations seeking employment in lower tax states. Of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, NE ranks 8th highest in property taxes (Wallet Hub, 2019). Meanwhile, our Legislature so far has appeared unable to pass substantive property tax relief, despite several recent attempts by conservative senators. Liberal and RINO senators routinely sabotage attempts to alleviate our strangling property taxes. The Anaconda continues to choke NE property owners. We must slay the Anaconda!
THE FIGHT CONTINUES. The 2019 session of the NE Legislature failed once again to pass substantive property tax relief. Many senators refused to cut the budget or preferred to shift the tax load to higher and expanded sales taxes. Therefore, several tax watchdog groups, including NE Taxpayers for Freedom, and other tax reform organizations have joined together to brainstorm through the remaining months of 2019 to assemble the necessary building blocks for true property tax relief. Working together, we will seek the counsel and input of conservative and moderate state senators to tailor legislation that can win the support of the magic number of 25 state senators in 2020.
STRATEGY. While our conservative senators develop property tax solutions with their colleagues, our coalition will mobilize taxpayers to encourage and supplement their effort. Plans include holding town hall meetings across the state to solicit suggestions and assistance to assemble common principles of tax relief on which most can agree.
ANALYSIS. The following is our initial analysis of what could become common principles, or elements, in a Slay the Anaconda property tax relief bill or bills:
• Calculate by percentage or dollars the first year savings on property taxes.
• How much property tax people in several income categories would save (Legislative Fiscal Office could offer its expertise in a fiscal note).
• Preference for a tax shift or a straight overall tax reduction.
• Passing property tax relief in stages over several sessions.
• Removal of sales tax exemptions.
• Raising and/or expanding the state sales tax to some/all services.
• Remove the sales tax credit for several types of vehicles.
• Restrict or set sunset dates for business incentive legislation.
• Raise nuisance taxes like the cigarette tax or liquor tax.
• Increasing the state income tax in specific categories.
• Lowering the state income tax in specific categories.
• Removal of tax benefits for dividends and capital gains, with no further special credit for selling a business, and for shareholders in S corporations.
• Taxes on estates and trusts.
• Strategic budget cuts.
• Zero-based budgeting required in all state departments and agencies.
• Restoring tax increment financing to its original intent.
• Reform and restrict non-profit status statutes.
• Require all non-profit entities to pay a sum in lieu of property tax.
• Fees for state inspections, etc., would keep pace with costs.
If you have a suggestion for property tax relief, please send it to us at netaxpayers@gmail.com.