GST Secretary Dan McGuire testified to the Municipal & County Government Committee on January 29, 2000.
Following is his testimony on a series of bills offering Property Tax Exemptions.
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Low Taxes are the Result of Low Spending
That phrase is just as true today as it was when our founder, Governor Mel Thomson, coined it fifty years ago.
To get truly lower taxes, government must do less and/or improve efficiency.
Any other kind of tax “reform” is merely a version of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The case in point this year is the numerous bills filed to provide property tax exemptions.
(See the list of such bills presented below.)
These bills would lower property taxes for veterans, the elderly, firefighters, solar panels, batteries, accessory dwellings, etc.
They all have one thing in common; while lowering property taxes for the favored class of people or objects, they necessarily raise property taxes by a like amount for everyone else.
Such bills are contrary to the intention of our state constitution which speaks of “proportional and reasonable” taxes on “all the inhabitants” and “all estates” (emphasis added).
Taxes levied on all property, based on its current value, are inherently fair and reasonable.
Making special classes of property, or worse, people, only creates envy and resentment.
People will complain that their group is not included. What about parents of young children? Farmers? Why
firefighters and not police? Or teachers?
We urge the legislature to reject all bills of this type.
Daniel McGuire, Secretary
Granite State Taxpayers
Jan 29, 2020
2020 Property Tax Limitation Bills
HB130 relative to property tax relief for totally and permanently disabled veterans.
HB479 relative to eligibility for the low and moderate income homeowners property tax relief.
HB1125 enabling municipalities to adopt an exemption from property taxes for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical personnel.
HB1154 enabling municipalities to exclude principal of retirement and pension accounts from assets used for eligibility for property tax exemptions.
HB1210 establishing a property tax exemption for energy storage systems.
HB1406 relative to the property tax exemption for solar energy systems.
HB1467 relative to the taxation of commercial and residential property.
HB1510 enabling municipalities to adopt a property tax exemption for qualifying accessory dwelling units.
HB1533 limiting the increase in property taxes for certain persons.
HB1661 relative to the exemption from property taxes for water and air pollution control facilities.
SB95 establishing a working families property tax refund program.
SB424 relative to the property tax exemption for solar energy systems.
SB475 enabling municipalities to adopt a property tax credit for densely-built workforce housing.
SB483 relative to the property tax exemption for educational organizations.
SB516 relative to a property tax credit for active duty military personnel.
SB530 relative to property tax exemptions for renewable energy systems.
SB538 establishing a commission to study property tax exemptions for charitable organizations.
SB562 relative to a property tax relief program for repairs and updates of affordable older homes.
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Click here to read the position paper submitted by GST Secretary Dan McGuire.
Click here to find your Legislators. Tell them to oppose special interest legislation like this!