• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog Home
  • Topics
    • Keystone Press Releases
    • Politics and Government
    • Legislation
    • Nevada News
    • Tourism & Gaming
    • Rural Nevada
    • Business
    • Opinion
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • About Keystone Nevada

Keystone Nevada Korner

Welcome to The Keystone Korner The Official Blog of Keystone Nevada

Home » EDITORIAL: Property tax bill deserves a quick trip to the shredder

EDITORIAL: Property tax bill deserves a quick trip to the shredder

March 16, 2023 by Courtney Holland

Neal bill would drop the cap, impose a floor.

By Las Vegas Review-Journal Editorial Board, March 15, 2023

The benefit of competitive political districts is that they force elected officials to moderate their worst instincts and even to reach across the aisle from time to time. The same can’t be said for gerrymandered or “safe” seats.

Consider state Sen. Dina Neal, a Democrat from North Las Vegas. Ms. Neal served five terms in the Assembly, routinely winning more than 70 percent of the vote in her heavily Democratic district. She moved to the upper chamber in 2020, routing her Republican opponent with more than 75 percent support.

Comfortably ensconced in her position, Ms. Neal hasn’t shied away from sponsoring controversial legislation. She is the driving force behind a proposal to pay Nevada inmates minimum wage for the work they do behind bars. And now, Ms. Neal has unveiled Senate Bill 96, a legislative proposal to ensure that state property owners are on the hook for higher taxes.

Clearly, Ms. Neal isn’t trying to win a popularity contest.

Under current law, annual residential property tax hikes are capped each year at a maximum of 3 percent. Levies on commercial and rental properties can increase no more than 8 percent. The limits were imposed during the 2005 session to prevent rising home values from imposing punitive taxes on homeowners.

Ms. Neal’s bill would put an annual 3 percent property tax hike on cruise control, preventing the levy from ever falling below that threshold even during a recession or when real estate values decline. This is intended to “stabilize revenue” for local governments, she maintains.

In fact, Nevada’s government revenues — notwithstanding the pandemic or the Great Recession — have been stable, as in up and up, for decades as growth has driven healthy tax collections. But heaven forbid that state and local governments should be forced to re-evaluate priorities and live within their means when the lean times arrive. Just keep that IV hooked up to the beleaguered taxpayers.

“Nevada does not have a revenue problem,” Alida Benson of the Nevada Republican Party told lawmakers. “It has a spending problem.” She noted that Ms. Neal’s tax proposal threatened to further burden Nevada families struggling with continued inflation.

Thankfully, Nevada voters in 1994 and 1996 passed a constitutional amendment mandating that any tax hikes be approved by a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature. Democrats enjoy a supermajority in the Assembly but are just one vote shy of that hurdle in the Senate. There is not likely to be any GOP support for this money grab.

It’s also not entirely clear whether Democrats would unanimously fall in line behind SB96, particularly those lawmakers who, unlike Ms. Neal, don’t have the luxury of rarely having to worry about an election opponent.

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Dina Neal, Editorials, Property tax, sb96

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
Bootleg Bistro
Bootleg Bistro Ad
SLLC_Keystone_Blog-Ad_300x500_10%-Off-Repairs_05.19.21
CIOServices Ad 300x500-100
BRH Keystone Ad JPEG
Willow_Manor
Keystone Corporation Nevada

News Topics

  • Keystone Press Releases
  • Politics and Government
  • Legislation
  • Nevada News
  • Tourism & Gaming
  • Rural Nevada
  • Business
  • Opinion

Rural Nevada

30 new projects in Pahrump: Arby’s, Chipotle, Midas Muffler, 3 convenient stores & more

March 29, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Robin Hebrock, Pahrump Valley Times, March 28, 2023 Business is booming in the Pahrump Valley, with dozens of new companies looking to bring … [Read More...] about 30 new projects in Pahrump: Arby’s, Chipotle, Midas Muffler, 3 convenient stores & more

UPS and AVK America plan to expand in Douglas County

March 19, 2023 By Courtney Holland

Staff Reports for The Record Courier, March 17, 2023 United Parcel Service plans to build a new 168,000 square foot building in Douglas County, … [Read More...] about UPS and AVK America plan to expand in Douglas County

Redwood Materials gets $2 billion federal loan for mega battery facility near Reno

February 12, 2023 By Pauline Lee

by Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, February 9, 2023 Redwood Materials just secured a commitment from the federal government for a $2 billion … [Read More...] about Redwood Materials gets $2 billion federal loan for mega battery facility near Reno

LETTER: Voting by conscience or from pocketbook?

January 31, 2023 By vrobison

Not everyone enjoys or is interested in politics, but given the number of retirees in the Moapa and Virgin Valleys, I would imagine there is … [Read More...] about LETTER: Voting by conscience or from pocketbook?

Opinion

OPINION: NEVADA VIEWS: Government over the taxpayers

March 26, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Robert Fellner, The Las Vegas Review Journal, March 25, 2023 The legislative proposal to raise Nevadans’ property taxes highlights why … [Read More...] about OPINION: NEVADA VIEWS: Government over the taxpayers

Hypocrite Biden blocks mineral mining his clean-energy goals require

March 24, 2023 By Pauline Lee

by Carrie Sheffield, New York Post, March 22, 2023 President Joe Biden claims he wants America to lead in “clean energy” production, but he’s again … [Read More...] about Hypocrite Biden blocks mineral mining his clean-energy goals require

OPINION: The ‘Green Amendment’ is well-intended — but that’s not enough

March 19, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By David Colborne, The Nevada Independent, March 19th, 2023 Supporters of AJR3, also known as the “Green Amendment,” want to protect Nevada’s … [Read More...] about OPINION: The ‘Green Amendment’ is well-intended — but that’s not enough

Tags

Adam Laxalt am post Build Back Better Business Business Columns Casinos & Gaming Catherine Cortez Masto Clark County Clark County School District Conventions COVID Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) Editorials Education employment Gov. Joe Lombardo Gov. Steve Sisolak Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) Housing inflation Inside Gaming Joe Lombardo las vegas Local Local Las Vegas Local Nevada lvcva mc-business mc-local mc-news mc-opinion mc-sports Nevada News NPRI Opinion Opinion Columns PAID Politics and Government Real Estate Insider Roe v. Wade Sports The Strip tourism Victor Joecks

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Keystone Corporation - All Rights Reserved · Log in
Privacy Policy
By accessing this site, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use

The views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the authors of any article or post on the Keystone Korner are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Keystone Corporation or its officers and board members. Moreover, any reference to a person, party, product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Keystone Corporation or its officers and board members.