Truth in Tax Matters Remains No. 1 Priority in 2025 Legislative Session

Iowa State Rep. Jon Dunwell of House District 38 has long advocated for what he calls “truth in taxes,” and in the upcoming legislative session he has plan to recite this mantra once again so that Iowans will better understand the property tax adjustments of cities, counties and school districts.

Dunwell said all Iowans should receive mailers with their tax bills that show them exactly what they paid last year, the proposed levies for next year, the precise amount they will pay next for their property if the levies are approved by the respective tax entities and the dates of public hearings to challenge them.

“It puts the taxpayer and the election official where they can actually have a conversation about their property taxes,” he said. “I think at this point it also allows local entities, the county, the city and, to a lesser extent, the schools … to have an interaction and say, ‘I want to pay higher taxes’ or “I don’t.”

Property tax legislation in 2025 has already been discussed by state leaders, and Dunwell confirmed the issue will most certainly be on the agenda. He says it’s something the state needs to do for Iowans, cities, counties and school districts. But he knows it’s also a complicated subject.

Regardless, property taxes are a concern Dunwell has often heard about from her constituents, especially those on fixed incomes. They see the value of their homes increase and the decline does not adjust sufficiently. He also said the process is not simple enough for people to understand what they will pay before budget hearings.

“It’s not necessarily the fault of the city, the county or the school, it’s just a matter of how our system works,” Dunwell said. “It’s not easy to look into that.”

Dunwell would also like to see the state “get out of the way” and allow citizens to interact with their local elected officials who control what their taxes look like. Keeping them informed through transparent, property-specific letters would help in that regard, he argued, but therein lies part of the problem.

Counties should probably invest in some sort of software. There are also expenses associated with mailing tax statements to every taxpayer in the county. This could cost between $20,000 and $40,000 in shipping costs. But Dunwell said more counties might prefer that option rather than limiting growth or changing levies.

“I think sometimes the state has a hard time dealing with this because they want to control it,” he said. “At this point we are getting out of the way. There will always be limits on the amount of the levy, but the idea is that the limitation is about the voter and not an artificial cap.

Property taxes vary from region to region. Dunwell said many communities are experiencing strong growth because they’re building new homes, but the systems in place now can be somewhat punishing for towns experiencing that kind of progress. Dunwell wants to ensure that every community can discuss tax issues with citizens.

Another issue Dunwell wants to prioritize next session is support for families. Even though current trends show inflation is falling, the lawmaker said other countries have been negatively affected by the economy. He wants to co-sponsor a bill that will increase the per-pupil weighting for preschool funding.

Currently, schools receive only half the funding (0.5) for each preschool-aged child, but they receive the full amount (1.0) for students in grades K-12. Dunwell said he wants to increase funding to allow full-day preschool for parents living at 185 percent of the poverty level. Ultimately, he said it saves the state money.

“We see the progress children are making in their third and eighth grade test scores. We are seeing fewer difficulties requiring further interventions,” Dunwell said. “We’re talking about hard-working families who just need a little help… This will allow them to get some of those education benefits.”

Dunwell said there are benefits to children participating in active education. Many are better prepared for kindergarten and subsequently perform better in school. Communities with diverse economic backgrounds may struggle to receive these benefits. Dunwell said many simply need help.

But implementing this type of legislation will have challenges.

“The pushback sometimes comes a little bit from the day care industry because it affects their business,” Dunwell said. “So we need to address some of these issues because we all have the same goal of trying to help families, to help moms and dads to make sure they have what they need for their family. “

Dunwell worries about the pressures placed on families and their children. There are things the Iowa Legislature can do, he said, to ease those burdens.

Dunwell also wants to take a closer look at the Iowa Department of Corrections. He wants to fix problems in the system and ensure the safety of correctional staff and those who live within the confines of their facilities. He also wants to make sure correctional officers are well paid and respected.

By not properly respecting the rights of incarcerated people, Dunwell said it makes the state’s prisons unsafe. When there are issues like mail issues that affect an incarcerated population over a period of time, they accumulate and affect the prison community and make it unsafe for everyone involved.

“Again, for me, it’s about correctional officer safety and recognizing that those who live in these facilities will also be our neighbors at some point, so the community connections to the correctional facilities and the community connections within of the establishment are extremely important,” Dunwell said.

He believes state corrections is an essential government service that must fully recognize, honor and support its staff.

Corrections issues were brought to his attention by incarcerated people and officers working in prisons like Newton Correctional Facility. Dunwell said he was looking at the issue from both sides. By not addressing corrections, he fears it will become a ticking time bomb.

“We don’t need to create unnecessary frustration,” he said.

Creating a healthy community in Iowa’s prisons means providing adequate security for corrections officers and also protecting incarcerated people. Dunwell said he wants corrections officers to be treated more like law enforcement and included in that category.

Dunwell said it’s also important for the community outside to engage with the community inside. It’s extremely important, he added, and it’s a healthy thing for Iowa to understand and get right. They are people, Dunwell said, and they will be rehabilitated into society at some point.

“It’s about the incarcerated individual. It’s about families. This is about making sure we don’t have a problem in our correctional facilities,” Dunwell said. “But it also comes down to the fact that I worry about my corrections officers who are overworked and providing a tremendous service to our community.”