By Steve Bruss
EDITORIAL COLUMNIST
About the most irritating phrase used by Generation Y -- those
who are young enough to still be considered cool -- is "He (or she)
is so random." Though that turn of phrase is grating, there is a
group for whom it is wonderfully apropos -- our state Legislature.
At least when it comes to its efforts to reform property taxes.
Doubt it? Check out this definition of random: "Without definite
aim, direction, rule, or method."
Oh yes, to re-coin the phrase, our Legislature is so without aim,
direction, rule or method. And the evidence of that randomness is
staggering. Here's just a brief summary of plans that have been
endorsed by our lawmakers.
This week, the Senate voted to let residents decide if counties
should be able to reduce property taxes by enacting a local-option
sales tax. This is an idea loaded with inequities for the state's
poorer counties with less commercial activity and could put counties
with more robust economies in a position to bridge those inequities.
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That after the Senate a day earlier had tentatively approved
shifting the responsibility for school funding to the state. That
idea is fraught with pitfalls, in part because it initially offered
no explanation of where the state would get the money to do it. It
also would erode school districts' ability to govern themselves,
diminishing home rule.
Last week, the Senate approved a plan that would eliminate
county operating taxes from homes valued up to $180,000 in exchange
for a half-cent sales tax increase.
That same proposal also allowed for a local-option sales tax to
further drive down property taxes.
The House earlier this year passed a plan that would eliminate
most property taxes on owner-occupied homes in exchange for a 2-cent
sales tax increase.
It's hard to imagine what will happen when the two houses try to
reconcile the two vastly different ideas they have endorsed. So far,
at least, legislators have been so consumed with the idea of
property tax relief they appear willing to seriously consider any
idea no matter the consequences.
Perhaps there's a need for some sort of tax reform. There
probably are some in this state bearing an unreasonable property tax
burden. But it's not a majority of us, and the disparities won't be
fixed by a desperate plan that hasn't been thoroughly considered.
The place to craft a plan is not on the floors of the General
Assembly in the waning weeks of an election-year legislative
session. If lawmakers are serious about property tax reform, they
will commission a study of serious, comprehensive ideas so next
session they can consider a plan that equitably addresses this
state's tax reform needs.
With a definite course in mind, they can debate a real,
comprehensive plan on the House and Senate floors -- a plan that
addresses reform and details how or if the tax burden in this state
should be shifted. Taxpayers and the legislators who represent them
ought to know not only that the tax burden will be lessened for
those who most need it, but how things like schools, fire and police
departments and local governments will be funded when the reform is
complete.
We also need to know whether we're really getting a better deal
than we have now -- not only lower taxes, but a fair distribution of
those taxes. With most of the plans being flung around by lawmakers
the past few months, we definitely wouldn't. But you'd never know it
by the way legislators are lining up to endorse the sundry tax
reform plans they've seen.
Our Legislature needs to approach this issue thoughtfully; it
needs to make an informed decision on a real tax reform plan.
Lawmakers shouldn't be slapping together a piecemeal patchwork of
scattered ideas in a last-ditch effort to show constituents that,
yes, they really are concerned about reducing taxes.
That's so random. And when it comes to the taxpayers' money, this
state can't afford leaders without aim, direction, rule or method.
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