‘UnPHILtered’ | Zionsville’s mayor talks potential property tax reform
ZIOSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Zionsville Mayor John Stehr spoke with News 8 about Gov. Mike Braun’s push for property tax reform, a measure that could impact his Boone County town.
“Our best estimate right now is that for the next budget year 2026, it will cost us between $2.8 million and $3.5 million from our revenue stream,” Stehr said. “In 2027, it’ll be between three-and-a-half and four-and-a-half (million dollars), and then in 2028, closer to $5 million. So, that’s a pretty significant hit.”
The measure would allow homeowners to either file for a 60% homestead deduction or have their tax bill reset to 2021 levels. It’s a measure that Braun campaigned on in November, and was very popular among Indiana voters.
“I think that people need to realize that while they want to pay less in property tax, I want to pay less in property tax,” Stehr said. “I know you do, too. They still want to have police, they still want to have fire protection, they still want to have an ambulance show up if they need it, and roads to drive on. So, these are the things that we’re spending our money on. There’s not a lot of fluff in our budget. Over 50% of our budget is in public safety, and then you add Department of Public Works to that, and you’re up closer to 70% of the budget.
“You know, I think the people that live in Zionsville and the people who live in any municipality, they deserve the right to expect good police services and police officers that are well-equipped and well-trained. Same with the fire department and having the right equipment and having the right training.”
Stehr said that he’s hopeful that end of the day things will change.
“I think there’s a lot more discussion to be had, and hopefully what the legislation will decide is not just to erase our tax revenue, but also replace it with something else, and I think there are ways to get there,” Stehr said. “I know that some ideas are being knocked around back and forth, and we’re certainly lobbying, and we’ll see where it ends up.”
