The health of Nebraska’s economy is at stake when state senators return to Lincoln for the special legislative session I’m convening July 25. Our decades-long property tax crisis must be resolved. Not getting the job done is unacceptable.
If property taxes aren’t reduced, goods and services rise in price, rent gets higher for young farmers, job creators think twice about doing business here and economic development is harmed. We can also count on escalating property taxes to increase, soon reaching $1 million a day. Out-of-whack property taxes hurt Nebraskans, hurt Nebraska business owners, and hurt Nebraska’s economic competitiveness.
Specifics of the plan have been cultivated by talking to citizens and senators. With your input we have created a bold plan that will:
1. Put a hard cap on property tax collections.
2. Cutting state spending by $360 million to help finance this plan.
3. Cut property taxes by 50%.
4. Invest more in Public Education.
However, special interest groups are very persuasive, and they would have you believe their interests are yours. We need to cut through the distractions and focus on what is important. One of those things is ensuring we are not pricing lifelong Nebraskans out of their homes. The second is providing a future for our children where they feel they can chase the dream of raising their families in-state, without paying exorbitant property taxes as a result.
I have a call to action for anyone who has been or is concerned they will be impacted by our state’s 7th place ranking for highest property tax in the nation. Your concerns are well-founded and should be shared with your state senator. Only they can advocate on your behalf when the session starts. If you do that, then you will be part of the solution – helping pass a plan that is fair to all and provides significant and lasting tax cuts.