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Let’s get SJR 505A on the ballot this November
On Wednesday, February 7th at 10:00 AM CST the Senate Taxation Committee heard Senate Joint Resolution 505A (SJR505A). This Constitutional Amendment would take the assessment of our properties back to 2020 values for those who have owned the same property since the end of 2020. The extreme rise in property taxes is the number one complaint from our citizens who are the taxpayers.
Numerous attempts at property tax relief for our citizens have been introduced throughout the years, but have been killed by the legislature. That will continue until we take this issue to “We The People” to hold our elected officials accountable to us. Our voices need to be respected and this resolution would put this on the November 2024 ballot for us to let them know that the state and counties need to live within OUR budget. The wasteful spending that we have seen here in Pierre and at the county level has to stop.
Property taxes affect all property owners. Even if you are a renter it negatively affects you as well, as your landlord’s property taxes have risen. We have senior citizens who have bought their homes decades ago and now are being taxed out of their homes. We have families that work hard and live within their budgets and yet government still wants more. While we welcome people who have moved here in search of freedom, there is no doubt this has caused inflated property values leading to the crisis we are in now.
The long term benefit for all of us is that assessments can only be raised 1% per year. I am asking all of you to encourage Senate Taxation Committee members to pass SJR505A and all legislators to support this for the people who we are supposed to represent.
Sadly, I have already been approached by the Department of Revenue that they will be opposing this resolution. To my fellow legislators, we are the branch of government that represents the citizens of our state. I am respectfully asking for support of this resolution and let’s get this on the ballot this November!