A Senate committee is looking at a property tax relief bill that's different from the current property tax relief law.
Sen. Jim Dotzenrod (D-Wyndmere) is the main sponor. His bill would expand the homestead tax credit – so that the state would pick up half the property taxes on a person’s home. That would apply to the first $100,000 of the home’s value. A second part would have a parallel benefit for agriculture land. And Dotzenrod says renters would get a renter’s credit – which would be an income tax credit equal to 15 percent of a person’s monthly rent.
Dotzenrod says this bill is to keep the focus on property tax relief.
"There's been so much talk here about what are we going to do to lower income tax," said Dotzenrod. "But I really hope the Legislature doesn't take their eyes off the ball, and understands that from everything we're able to tell, the taxpayers still believe the least popular tax, or the most unpopular, is taxing property."
Dotzenrod’s bill is one of several property tax relief bills the Legislature is studying. There are also a number of measures to lower or end the state income tax. A number of those were heard in a House committee.