A bill that drew some controversy during the Iowa legislative session dealt with property tax reform.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate passed the bill, which proposes setting a limit that counties and cities can’t raise property taxes above two-percent without a two-thirds vote of that entity. If the County Board of Supervisors or City Council approves the raise, then it would be published with justification to the taxpayers. If the taxpayers don’t like it, they can call for a referendum vote, and if approved to lower it, then it goes back to the two-percent maximum limit.

Greene County Supervisor Chair John Muir sees the bill from two points-of-view. As a taxpayer he says there’s a comfort in having more accountability for raising taxes and it provides for more scrutiny. However, as a County Supervisor, Muir says the bill limits their ability to raise taxes and possibly provide services to the meet the public’s demands. He argues there’s already a checks-and-balances in place to control taxes.

“If people think their taxes are too high, don’t re-elect people or elect people who are telling you they can lower your taxes. That possibility is pretty slim because costs go up, demands for services go up, and you somehow have to provide that. That’s the mechanism that we have is through taxes and paying people to provide those services.”

The bill is currently awaiting Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature to become law.