New Hampshire legislators are considering a bill that would enable residents to vote on whether to enact caps on locality and school district property taxes every two years.
The Keene Sentinel reports an amendment to House Bill 1300 would require the following question to be added to November ballots during even-numbered years: “For the next two fiscal years, shall the total property taxes levied by this [town/city/school district/county] be limited so they may not increase faster than inflation plus new taxable property growth?”
Approval of a tax cap would require a two-thirds majority of voters. New Hampshire’s property taxes are among the nation’s highest, which is used to compensate for the absence of a state income tax and a general statewide sales tax.
Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare), a sponsor of the amendment, pointed out having property tax caps on the ballot every other year could increase the average turnout for local-focused elections, which is now about 15% – turnout is significantly higher for general elections.
“That means 7.5% of voters can show up and raise property taxes on 93 percent of the rest of the electorate,” he said. “When I talk to people in Weare and Goffstown, they ask why their property taxes go up. I say, ‘You need to vote in your local elections. Your school board is raising your taxes.’ They don’t accept that as an answer.”
However, the New Hampshire Municipal Association was not enthusiastic over the proposal.
“Divorcing this ballot question from local elections and town meetings makes it easier to confuse voters as to what they are actually voting for,” the association said in a statement. “It also hamstrings municipalities from authorizing labor agreements due to the threat of a future cap.”
