Legislators Say Property Tax Relief Is Top Priority For 2026 Session

The first legislative coffee of the 2026 session attracted two dozen citizens to City Hall Saturday morning.

State Rep. David Sieck was the lone legislator in attendance with State Sen. Mark Costello participating over the phone.

Sieck and Costello told those in attendance property tax relief is a top priority in both the House and Senate chambers this year.

“Property tax relief is a huge deal,” Sieck said.  “We have three different versions of what’s going on so they’re trying to mesh all them together. We’ve done a really, really good job on income tax and a lot of other deals where we’ve made Iowa really competitive, but our property tax is a problem and one of the biggest things.”

Costello echoed Sieck’s comments.

“The governor has a bill, the Senate has a bill and the House has a bill. They all kind of have a cap on growth,” said Costello. “Maybe the most notable is the Senate bill. If you’re over 60 and you have your primary home paid for, you would not have to pay taxes unless it was something the voters voted on.”

Costello said a primary purpose of the Senate bill is to prevent seniors from being taxed out of their homes.

Sieck said property tax relief is a complicated issue, noting there is push to put a cap on tax asking by cities and counties.

“The mayor won’t like it because they’re trying to figure out a way to cap the cities and the counties and make a mechanism there where they can spend more money if they want but the citizens get a shot at voting on it,” he said. “That’s something they’re proposing - I don’t know where it’s going to go or how it’s going to go, but I know that we have a lot of concern about property tax.”

Sieck and Costello addressed a variety of issues and questions presented by audience members, including the use of eminent domain for the acquisition of land by private companies. The issue has been a sometimes-heated topic of discussion in Iowa as Summit Carbon Solutions pursues its desire to construct a carbon capture pipeline.

The Iowa House passed a bill in January that would ban the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines. Sieck said he was absent when the bill was pssed but he would have voted against it.

Costello said he believes the carbon capture pipeline would be beneficial to the state but appreciates the concerns regarding eminent domain.

“Obviously, this is a pretty difficult issue, but I guess I’ve come to the point where I do feel like the project would be really good for Iowa and we ought to get the project through,” he said. “There are some people in the Senate that think it would be really helpful if they made a corridor so there is a path that they propose and they can’t go outside that corridor to get people to sign up (for voluntary easement) – to widen that corridor to a 10-mile corridor to allow them to try and get more people signed up and therefore lessen the need for eminent domain.

“I’m not sure leadership in the Senate is willing to go with just a straight ban of eminent domain so I think we ought to try to do the best we can and get the best compromise solution involving as few people as possible to give up an involuntary easement.”

Audience member Karen Seipold took exception to a comment by Costello that few people in Mills County would be impacted by the pipeline because the proposed route is outside the county’s borders. Giving Summit a 10-mile corridor could bring the pipeline into Mills County and affect local landowners, she said.

“We’re setting a precedent for private companies to be able to use the tool of eminent domain,” she said. “I’m not saying eminent domain should be completely eliminated because we do need that for true public projects. This is not, this is a private company getting our tax money through these ‘Q’ credits and ‘Z’ credits.”

Two other issues discussed during the forum is a push to allow cameras in Iowa nursing homes and proposed legislation that would  change the county auditor, treasurer and recorder positions from being elected offices to appointment by the local boards of supervisors.

An audience member stated 22 states currently have guidelines or laws in place that allow cameras in nursing homes for the protection of residents. Iowa does not. Legislation being proposed would allow cameras in nursing homes but not require them.
Costello said he doesn’t know the specifics of the bill being proposed but is aware of the discussion.

“There is a lot of pushback from the nursing home association and individual nursing home owners on this bill,” he said. But I think I am more in favor of allowing the cameras in there, but we have to careful that we don’t make it so that it’s not workable. I’m kind of with you in spirit, but I think that it’s important that we do it right.”

Both Sieck and Costello said they don’t expect the senate study bill regarding the county auditor, treasurer and recorder positions to move forward this legislative session. Sieck said the bill would actually do more than just make the three offices appointed positions.

“I think it comes from what the governor (Kim Reynolds) is trying to do this year when she had her first meeting to talk about how in these small counties, we have so much duplication with each county having this and that,” he said. “Is there a way that we can combine some things to make it cheaper for the citizens? That’s where this bill is coming from.

“I’m not as a concerned about that (bill), but we are watching it.”

The next legislative coffee in Mills County is scheduled for Saturday, Feb.28, 8 a.m., at Glenwood City Hall.