Membership of a legislative task force to take a comprehensive look at property taxes in the state is now set.
The executive board approved 12 legislative members of the 18-member task force Wednesday.
It’s the third task force looking at property taxes in four years. It’s the first since new Republican leadership took over the state Legislature.
The scope of the task force's is as follows: "The Comprehensive Property Tax Review Task Force shall conduct a comprehensive review of property tax policies and identify measures to provide significant and lasting tax relief, by focusing principally on state and local revenues and expenditures and the funding of K-12 education.”
The task force is part of a multi-year effort to address rising home values since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know how important property taxes and property tax relief are," said Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, the Senate President Pro Tempore. "The goal of this task force was laid out even before session in conversations with membership to say, ‘if we’re going to do something we should take a comprehensive look at it and not bring one-dimensional bills and try to fix it form one perspective.’ You’ve got to look at the whole thing.”
In March, Gov. Larry Rhoden said the state has a sound education funding formula. He recently proposed an option for county governments to implement a half-penny sales tax to go toward owner-occupied property tax relief.
State lawmakers passed one property tax relief bill this year which was drafted by a working group convened by Rhoden. It tamps down assessment growth for five years and expands who is eligible for property tax freezes. It goes into effect July 1.
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Lawmakers on the Comprehensive Property Tax Review are:
Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids (Speaker of the House)
Rep. Julie Auch, R-Yankton
Rep. Leslie Heinemann, R-Flandreau
Rep. Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish
Rep. Greg Jamison, R-Sioux Falls
Rep. John Hughes, R-Sioux Falls
Rep. Janna Hunt, R-Dupree
Rep. Peri Pourier, R-Rapid City
Sen. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls (Senate President Pro Tempore)
Sen. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls
Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City
Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre
Sen. Randy Deibert, R-Spearfish
Sen. Ernie Otten, R-Tea
Sen. Glen Vilhauer, R-Watertown
