Rep. Todd Huston: Homeowners frustrated with rising property tax bills

Featured Issue:
In the 2026 legislative session, should lawmakers make any changes to the property tax law they passed this year that cut property taxes and has reduced revenue for cities, towns and counties?

Indiana has long prided itself on keeping taxes low, running an efficient government and embracing economic opportunity and growth. These pillars have guided Republicans’ work in the Legislature, resulting in Indiana’s economy growing at a faster rate than that of all our neighboring states.

At the state level, we’ve cut taxes every year over the last decade, saving Hoosier taxpayers more than $20 billion. Over the next two years, Hoosiers will see their state income tax reduced again to one of the lowest rates in the nation.

While we’ve worked hard to lower state taxes across the board, local property taxes have become a concern. We’ve heard from many Hoosier homeowners frustrated with increasing property tax bills, especially seniors on a fixed income and families working hard to make ends meet.

To reduce the burden of property taxes on Hoosiers, the Legislature advanced a comprehensive new law that provides both immediate relief for homeowners and long-term reforms to the system.

The law saves Hoosier homeowners more than $1.3 billion in property taxes over the next three years. A majority of homeowners will see a lower property tax bill next year than they did this year, with additional relief down the road. It phases in a two-thirds property tax deduction on all homesteads and reduces the total amount of income tax that local governments can collect.

This is significant and needed relief. It also moves us to a better, more transparent system that increases accountability in local government spending, reins in local government debt and puts Hoosier taxpayers first.

We know local government leaders are working through their budgets and evaluating how this law will impact them. We also recognize that local governments deliver critical services to residents, including public safety and education. We’re simply asking local units to do exactly what state government and families across Indiana have had to do—live within our means and find opportunities for innovation and cost savings.

Along with saving taxpayers money, this law supports economic growth in our communities. Our previous property tax system had perverse incentives that oftentimes rewarded bad behavior. Going forward, communities will have to grow their assessed value within their communities if they want to provide more services instead of simply requiring Hoosier homeowners to pay more. After all, it’s economic growth that will have the most impact on lowering property taxes.

The changes required under this new law will take time for local governments to implement. That’s why we gave this law a longer runway to take full effect, as we’ve done with other major changes in the past. If tweaks or technical adjustments are needed, we will work with local leaders to ensure the law’s success while keeping the focus on taxpayers.

For our state to continue to grow, we need thriving communities where people want to live, work, own a home and raise their kids. Our local governments are key partners in that, and I look forward to seeing our communities embrace these opportunities while keeping taxes low for Hoosiers.•

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House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) represents House District 37, which includes portions of Hamilton County and Fishers. Send comments to [email protected].

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