Legislature eyes $1.2 billion property tax

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

The picture is of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon testifying at the Senate Revenue hearing regarding a  property tax bill SJR 201 which could raise property taxes as much as $1.2 billion.

The bill is in design stages and the Revenue Committee is using the hearing to explore many ideas around changing Oregon property tax system and measure 50 (1997) and we are always open to dialogue on how to make our tax system more fair or effective.  But as it stands we Oregonians pay too much in property taxes.   We make it clear that Oregonians are already paying just over more property taxes than the average American and that Oregon state and local government spends more per capita than the average state in America.  The bill as it currently stands would eliminate Measure 50 and the protection it gives against rising assessment taxation values which if gone could raise over a billion in new property taxes.   The Committee talked about providing owner-occupied homeowners a n exemption for the first $50,000 or $100,000.   The Taxpayer Association voiced concerns that the savings from exempting the first $50,000 can easily vanish in value once your home value rises $50,000 in a conceivable few years after.   Also, we raised the issue of  how hard small businesses would be hit if they faced a property tax increase.

— If you support our State Capitol efforts to stop property tax increases, please lend us your financial support.