Gov. Braun brings property tax bill discussion to Evansville
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – Indiana Governor Mike Braun says the number one issue he's heard from Hoosier residents is about high property taxes. During a discussion with two people who live and work in the Evansville-area, the governor said Senate Bill 1, a proposed property tax relief bill, would cut tax rates.
'When we wanted to set it back to 2021,' says Governor Braun, 'that was with emphasis on helping the most vulnerable homeowners, which would be those newly into the arena, and retired elderly.'
Braun says the bill would provide relief to those homeowners, but those opposed fear the cuts that could come to cities and school districts. A pair of protesters outside of Braun's Evansville meeting say they are also concerned with a lack of transparency.
'Why didn't we know about it and how come we can't go in,' asks Evansville resident Barbara Rodenberg. 'Right, why can't we be a part of this conversation,' adds Amanda Rodenberg. 'It's in our library.'
Figures available on the state General Assembly website shows over the next three years, school districts could lose millions in property tax funding, including the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, which could lose an estimated $20 million. 'You'd have to divide $20 million by a figure to see if that's 1 or 2 percent,' says Governor Braun. 'A lot of those numbers don't mean anything unless you put it into perspective of what percentage is that.'
Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry says these proposed cuts would be 'devastating'. She says the city alone could lose just over $7.5 million in 2026. 'At the top of the list when we talk about where our property tax revenue is going, over 50 percent, between 50 to 60 percent, is for public safety. Our police officers, our firefighters,' explains Mayor Terry. 'There would be some tough decisions that would have to be made.'
Mayor Terry says she will return to Indianapolis to meet with other mayors to discuss the bill's impacts, with hopes of sitting down with Governor Braun. 'I was hopeful that I was going to get 10 minutes of the Governor's time today while he was here in the city,' says Mayor Terry, 'but he left before our scheduled appointment.'
Click here to read the full text of Senate Bill 1.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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