Otter Plan Would Hit Schools by $39M

The Senate Education Committee heard a presentation this afternoon from Alan Dornfest, property tax policy supervisor for the Idaho State Tax Commission, on the impact of a possible repeal of the personal property tax on business equipment on Idaho school districts. The upshot: With only a couple of exceptions involving two charter school districts in Lewiston and Boise with rate-based levies and for certain capped emergency levies, there would be an automatic tax shift to real property to make up the $38.6 million a year that’s now going to schools from the personal property tax on business equipment. That’s unless lawmakers opted to provide replacement funds from the state/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here.

Question: Still support Gov. Otter’s plans to eliminate the personal property tax?