Sen. Pat Ward: Thanks for Concern; Property Tax Reform Imminent

Submitted by State Sen. Pat Ward

Life can change with the blink of an eye, or in my case, with the crash of a ladder. My husband, John, and I are so blessed to have survived our recent storm-related accident without long-term health consequences.

Our sincere, heartfelt appreciation goes to the 911 responders who came to our rescue within five minutes of the call. Lives depend on your prompt, capable care – thank you, thank you, thank you!

As a result of a compression fracture in my lower back, I will be wearing a back brace for the next several weeks, John’s ribs and collapsed lung are healing, but for all practical purposes, we were extremely lucky. God was watching over us. Life can and does change. Once again I am reminded not to take anyone for granted, to set priorities in life and act on them, and to express love each and every day.     

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I’ve been constantly reminded that kindness abounds – from the emergency medical workers, doctors, and nurses to friends and family who have reached out to care for us. My sincere thanks to all who have offered help, prayers, and well wishes – we are truly blessed.

Now, on to one of my passions – the work I do for you in the Iowa Senate.   
When the governor took office in January of 2011, one of his biggest priorities was property tax reform. In the 2011 session, there were several bills that addressed this issue, but the House and Senate could not agree on a final bill. 

One thing I often hear from constituents is “Why can’t the Republicans and Democrats get along?” Since the end of last session, there has been a lot of work on property tax reform in an attempt to reach common ground. Although we have gone this entire legislative session without passing a final bill, I am optimistic that we can reach an agreement before we adjourn in the next few days.

While things can change very quickly at the Capitol, it looks promising that we will pass a comprehensive property tax relief bill that covers all categories of property. It is my goal to pass a bill that would provide property tax relief to all classes of property, without shifting the tax burden to another group. For example, I don’t want to cut taxes on commercial property only to shift the taxes to residential.

Our most recent property tax proposal is a great example of Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate working with the governor to design a bill that has broad support. It combines some of the original House ideas with some of last year’s ideas from the Senate into a single bill. While I wish that the rates were cut even more, this is a fine example of working together to get meaningful property tax reform.  

Thank you for the privilege of electing me to serve in the Iowa Senate. I am your voice at the State Capitol. Please feel free to contact me at pat.ward@legis.iowa.gov or by calling me at 281-3371. I am also on Facebook.