Democrats’ Tax Relief Bill Fails

Yet another attempt by Democrats to provide additional property tax relief failed in a House committee Monday.

This bill would have expanded the homeowner’s exemption to allow more of a home’s residential improvements to be nontaxable. Homeowners would have been able to exempt a maximum of $60,000 instead of $50,000 in the upcoming year, and $5,000 more each year until 1998.

The committee was unanimous in rejecting the bill.

Rep. Hilde Kellogg, R-Post Falls, said she preferred to wait to see how Gov. Phil Batt’s property tax relief plan affects taxpayers.