Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Property Owners want to VOTE! NO 5% annual increase!

One of the hottest issues with voters is the automatic 5% property tax increase Oklahoma property owners face each year! Sen. Jim Reynolds held a press conference on Tuesday, April 27, and is asking for HELP from voters to gain a floor vote on Senate Joint Resolution 5, the property tax cap that he has pressed in recent years! [reduction from 5% to 3%]. The State Senate has approved this bill and Reynolds has ask that House Speaker, Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, let the bill be heard by the House of Representatives. Benge has not agreed to let this bill be heard.

The Grapevine would encourage all who have interest/concern in this bill to contact Speaker Benge, Senator Reynolds, along with your area Legislator. Voters need to read a copy of the bill. Voters want ALL properties included as in original State Question, not just applying to a homestead [only].

Now, the Legislature could place this question [directly] on ballot [state question] for the people to vote with no signature required by the Governor; OR..... it could be passed through the Legislature and appears any veto by the Governor could be over ridden by the Legislature. Seems problem is.....Legislature (House) doesn't want to address this issue. Why? No doubt the teachers union lobbies hard against any reduction in this tax.

It's an election year. Voters need to ask the candidates where they stand on this issue. Property owners need relief NOW!

Senator Jim Reynolds: (405) 521-5522; reynolds@oksenate.gov
Speaker Chris Benge: (405) 557-7340; chrisbenge@okhouse.gov

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