State Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco: We missed a chance to reform property taxes

Tuesday night the Iowa Senate narrowly rejected a $350 million commercial property tax cut. 

State Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco was one of those supporting passage of the measure.  "This was a missed opportunity to pass major property tax reform," said Wilhelm.  "It would have dramatically cut commercial property taxes for almost every business in my district and also cut taxes for working families."
 
"I wholeheartedly supported a bold effort to cut commercial property taxes for every business, help small businesses the most, and do it while minimizing harm to local schools and services," Wilhelm said.
 
Under the legislation, all commercial property would have received a tax cut, one that would have amounted to a 40 percent tax cut for nearly two-thirds of all commercial property.  Local governments would have been reimbursed for most of the lost revenue.

"I'm disappointed.  If the legislation is not revived this year, I will keep pushing to cut commercial property taxes again next year," Wilhelm said.  "The only thing standing in our way is partisan politics."