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How Do Your Utility Rates
Compare?
Umbaugh has completed a study containing information from different Indiana municipal water and wastewater utilities to provide a comparison of utility rates for communities of similar sizes. Utility officials will find this information valuable in evaluating the adequacy of rate schedules and calculated monthly bills. Averages are shown for minimum charges of a 5/8-inch meter and a 6-inch meter and bills for typical levels of usage. While these are only averages, they are useful in determining how utility rates compare to others particularly when considering rate analyses or changes in the future. Please send an email to rates@umbaugh.com for a complimentary copy of our Comparative Rate Study. Umbaugh Tackles Indiana
Property Taxes
Property taxes are once again at the forefront of public policy debate in Indiana. Homeowners saw their 2007 property tax bills increase substantially, as much as double or triple in some areas of the state. The resulting public outcry has put the Indiana property tax system under the microscope.
Indiana’s property tax system is complicated, which creates confusion and misunderstanding about how property taxes are determined. As a result, Umbaugh is releasing a report that sheds light on the nuances of Indiana’s taxing system. As decision makers begin to develop and evaluate options to fix the current property tax system, Umbaugh hopes to offer insight into the process and observations regarding changes in 2007 property taxes.
This report, titled Indiana’s 2007 Property Tax Crisis, offers an objective look at modifications to property tax calculations between 2006 and 2007. Analyzing the main components of the property tax bill, the report focuses on changes in property tax levy, base and credits. We evaluated these changes in three Indiana counties: Marion, Delaware and Dubois, looking at how property taxes shifted for the county as a whole and how individual tax bills were affected by these changes. Although Marion, Delaware and Dubois counties are very different in composition, they experienced similar shifts and changes in their property tax bills, showing that property tax reform is an issue that affects the entire state.
Umbaugh has developed general conclusions about the causes of property tax increases. Although local entities are receiving the majority of the blame, our analysis shows that increased property tax levies by schools and local governments account for only a small portion of the increase in homeowners’ tax bills. Instead, reductions in property tax relief provided by the State and changes in who pays the tax are the major causes of the current crisis. Therefore, any successful resolution to the 2007 property tax crisis must address all three components of the property tax bill.
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