Property Tax
North Dakota Voters Sidestep Controversies
North Dakota voters shied away from several controversies at the polls Tuesday (June 12), including bids to eliminate property taxes, to prevent the University of North Dakota from dropping its “Fighting Sioux” nickname and to strengthen protections for people who claim government actions violate their religious beliefs. North Dakota was one of several states to […]
Will North Dakota Be the First State to End Property Taxes?
Charlene Nelson, chairwoman of a North Dakota ballot initiative to abolish property taxes, addresses a legislative committee studying the proposal. (Photo Dale Wetzel, AP) North Dakota voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of a ballot initiative that would make the state the first in the country to end property taxes. If any state is […]
As 2012 Agenda Unfolds, to Raise or Cut Taxes Is the Big Question
Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is calling for an across-the-board 10 percent cut in the state income tax. Governor’s Office/Jody Somers As state lawmakers gather for their 2012 legislative sessions, taxes are emerging as a key issue, with at least half a dozen Republican governors pressing for sweeping tax cuts and just as […]
Early Numbers Show Success for New York Property Tax Cap
Despite their unhappiness with a new property tax cap forced upon them by the state, most localities in New York plan to stay within the limit as they write their budgets for the coming year, according to preliminary data compiled by the state comptroller and trumpeted by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Times-Union of Albany reports […]
In California, a State and Local War Over Revenue and Responsibilities
Its name is a pun. Dive Bar may sit along Sacramento’s struggling K Street pedestrian mall, but far from sheltering scruffy boozers, the bar caters to the trendy young. Especially those who like to socialize in sight of a large tank of water containing a young woman swimming around as a mermaid. Early this year, […]
Unlikely Duo of Daniels and Cuomo Crusades to Shrink Local Government
One is a Republican, the other a Democrat. The first speaks with a cadenced, pleasant Hoosier accent, his counterpart with the emphatic, not-quite-brusque manner of a New Yorker making a point. They enjoy enough prestige within their parties that they could some day wind up on opposite sides in the Senate or even opposing each […]
As States Cut Aid, Localities Learn to Do Less With Less
You can get accustomed to hard times, and over the last few years Ohio’s towns and cities learned to scrape by. Faced with the long-term decay of Rust Belt manufacturing and the financial travails of homeowners, banks and businesses of all sorts, they watched their tax revenues shrink and did their best to adjust. They […]
Florida Lawmakers Reject Governor’s Tax Cuts
Republican Rick Scott rode into the Florida governor’s office on a tide of Tea Party enthusiasm in November, but the major tax cuts he promised after taking office now appear to be dead for the year, courtesy of his own party. GOP leaders in the Florida House and Senate announced Tuesday (April 26) that they […]
Property Taxes Rise in Christie’s First Year
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie rode into office on a campaign promise to cut the state’s infamously high local property taxes. In the first year of his administration, however, those taxes rose by an average of $7,576 -4.1 percent -in the biggest year-over-year increase since 2007, The Star-Ledger of Newark reports . Asked at a […]
Tax Caps Have Big Consequences
Nestled in a 224-page gubernatorial campaign agenda from New York’s Andrew Cuomo this spring was a call for a cap on local property taxes. The proposal didn’t take long to attract attention. The state teachers’ union, often friendly with the Democratic attorney general, withheld its endorsement. Cuomo had proposed to cap all local tax increases […]
In New Jersey, the Budget is the Easy Part
Freshman New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, won a big victory this week when he pushed a deeply controversial state budget through the Democratic-led Legislature by the narrowest of margins. But the tough work lies ahead, as Christie and lawmakers gird for a special session — possibly during the Independence Day weekend — to […]
Summary of the Wisconsin State of the State Address
It’s been a difficult year for Wisconsin, but Gov. Jim Doyle (D) struck an upbeat tone during his Jan. 26 state of the state address. Despite budget cuts, furloughs and pay and hiring freezes, Doyle warned that more cuts were on the horizon, although he vowed to continue “protecting education, health care and public safety […]