Idaho starts to deploy property tax relief with funds to local school districts
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Idahoans will see a lower property tax bill this fall as the State of Idaho picks up the tab for $300 million that would otherwise be covered by your property taxes.
More than $106 million in state General Fund dollars started to roll out at the end of August to school districts across Idaho, part of the broader property tax relief plan championed by Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature this year.
“Idaho already has the third lowest property taxes in the country, and we took steps this year to lower them further. Idaho has delivered more tax relief per capita than any other state, and we’re proud to turn money back to the hardworking people of our state while making critical investments in schools and infrastructure to keep up with growth,” Governor Little said.
In his 2023 State of the State and Budget Address in January, Governor Little announced his budget would include property tax relief for Idahoans clamoring for relief amid rapid increases in property values due to our state’s record growth over the past few years. Working together, the Governor and legislators got property tax relief done right and delivered more than $300 million in enduring property tax relief in the first year.
Idahoans can look up how much relief their school district will receive HERE.
“The Education Governor,” Governor Little has worked with the Legislature to increase state support of education by 65-percent in the five years he has been in office, and he will continue to push for more investments in our schools to create more opportunity for the next generation of Idahoans.
The State of Idaho has a constitutional obligation to fund a system of public schools in Idaho. But, as Governor Little noted in his 2023 State of the State and Budget Address in January, when the State of Idaho invests more in public schools, property taxpayers see the benefits.
“There is no doubt Idaho’s tremendous pace of growth is putting a strain on services at the local level, which increases the potential to drive up your local property taxes. But too often, we are simply shifting burdens across taxpayers when we should be addressing the needs head-on. Let us work on better ways to facilitate growth paying for growth and give local governments the tools they need to keep taxes low. How? By continuing to make long-range strategic investments in schools, roads, water, and other key areas to maintain our high quality of life,” Governor Little said in his speech.
