INDIANAPOLIS — About 200 Hoosiers gathered at the statehouse on Monday to demand urgent relief from high property taxes, sending a strong message to lawmakers: failure to address the issue could cost them their seats in the upcoming primaries.
Chants echoed through the halls as property owners expressed their discontent with the current version of Senate Bill 1.
The original billaimed to roll back property taxes to 2021 levels, a critical change that many attendees hope to see implemented.
“If local governments can't survive on 2021 budgets, that's a local government problem, not a taxpayer problem,” Shawn Vaughn, a resident of North Salem, said.
Deborah Coutcher, an Indianapolis resident and senior citizen, described her struggle with escalating property taxes as well.
“I'm a senior citizen, and I do struggle. Property taxes are out of hand,” she said.
Coutcher added that her property taxes have surged by more than 44 percent in the last two years without any visible improvements to her community.
"I'm not seeing the benefits on the east side at all," Coutcher added. " So it's like they were chanting, 'Where is my money?' You know, where is it going?"
The group of concerned citizens is urging Governor Mike Braun to advocate for restoring the original language of Senate Bill 1. Speaking at the rally, Braun emphasized the need for local governments to better manage their budgets.
“Government should be most powerful at the local level, but they cannot be growing their enterprises faster than the economy grows as a rule of thumb,” he stated.
As it stands, Senate Bill 1 is waiting for a vote in the House Ways and Means Committee. Lawmakers are required to move the bill to the full House by April 10.
