Republican House Members at Odds Over Property Tax Cap Measure

The battle over money is causing discord between two Republican representatives. Representative David Dank from Oklahoma City wants to put a cap on property taxes but House Speaker Chris Benge said now is not the time.

Wednesday, January 20th 2010, 9:16 pm

By: News 9


By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The battle over money is causing discord between two Republican representatives.

Representative David Dank from Oklahoma City wants to put a cap on property taxes, but House Speaker Chris Benge said now is not the time.

Representative Dank said he is so frustrated with the Speaker over this property tax issue that he urged Benge to "step up and support his measure or step down and let someone else lead the House."

As homeowners know all too well, when it comes to property taxes, rarely do they go down, and as Zenaphon Warrior believes, they are rarely, if ever, fair.

"I don't really think that they are always doing a good job determining the fair market value of a particular home," Warrior said.

It's that frustration over property taxes that doesn't just upset Representative Dank, but he said, angers him.

"We increase property taxes 5 percent per year for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans," Dank said.

A reason Representative Dank has proposed a measure that calls for a lifetime freeze on property taxes for seniors over 65, as long as they own their home, and lowering the current 5 percent annual increase cap on property taxes to 3 percent.

But unlike most bills where the opposition comes from across the aisle, Dank has been hearing it from a fellow Republican.

"I think you have to take all the factors into consideration, and I think, considering our budget picture, I think it will be difficult to move any tax relief forward," Benge said.

House Speaker Benge said he worries lowering the cap on property taxes during a time when revenue is down will hurt schools who get a large part of their funds from property tax revenue.

"As long as he's Speaker, we're not going to get these on the House floor," Dank said.

But if the House doesn't act, Dank said he worries what it could mean for his party.

"If we don't do and respond to what the people want us to out here, they'll throw out our Republican majority in a New York minute," Dank said.

This upcoming legislative session will be Speaker Benge's last in the House before term limits force him out.

Dank said he will introduce his measure again once Benge leaves if necessary, but first he said he will do everything he can to get it passed this year.

Should Danks property tax cap measure ever get voted on and passed, it would still need to go to the voters who would have the final say.

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