Delaware County Council opposes governor’s property tax relief plan
Governor Mike Braun has asked local governments to prove his proposed property tax relief efforts will be harmful, without going “above and beyond” in their budgets. Delaware County wants to take him up on the challenge. As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the county council is officially opposing the tax reform plan.
“Be it resolved that the Delaware County Council opposes any tax policy that affect local units of government that does not come with a corresponding replacement revenue stream implemented by the state of Indiana,” reads Matt Kantz, a Delaware County councilman, from a resolution opposing Senate Bill 1, that the council passed unanimously on Tuesday.
The council said it was originally written before the bill was scaled back by senators. But the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says under the current version, Delaware County is still set to lose $1.8 million in 2026, with more as years go on.
Councilman William Hughes wrote the resolution. With the recent bill changes, he says he thinks the county will still have to cut 30-40 employees.
Braun has said local governments need to be more efficient. To that, Hughes says –
“To me, our budget is our proof. We go over line by line every year. And there’s not, the phrase is, ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’”
Braun has threatened to veto the current version of Senate Bill 1, unless it is amended again to create broader relief. That would likely mean local governments like Delaware County losing even more money.
The House will take up the bill next week.
Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at [email protected].
