Senate Bill maintains property tax levies

Air Date:02/08/2011

By Jackelyn Severin

A measure that maintains property tax levies for school funding has passed a legislative committee. Right now state aid to education and local property tax levies remain proportional to each other. When state aid funding rises so does the portion paid by property taxes. Conversely, when state aid funding falls so do property tax levies. Republican Senator Larry Rhoden of Union Center says if lawmakers cut state aid by 10 percent then local funding will also go down 10 percent as well.

Rhoden says, "We’re working on a concept and that concept is holding harmless local property taxes so the school districts do not get the double whammy of losing state funding and local funding."

Rhoden says Senate Bill 152 allows the state’s portion to be cut but maintains the portion paid by property taxes at current levels.

The Senate Education Committee passed the measure by a vote of 6 to 1. It now goes to the Senate floor for further debate.

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