NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro-Mayor Asks City Council To Reinstate Homestead Tax In 2010

Mayor Asks City Council To Reinstate Homestead Tax In 2010

story by Courtney Fischer

EVANSVILLE - The mayor of Evansville says he's made a mistake, and now he's apologizing for it.

Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel says he's sorry for not allowing the public to give their two cents before taking away the homestead tax credit.

"Frankly, I've been kicking myself for the past several days," says Weinzapfel.

He says city and county leaders made a bad decision.  A bad decision they kept hush hush for more than a year.   A bad decision that cost each homeowner about 100 dollars.

"I'm angry with myself that because the decision was poorly handled, people are now questioning my motives," says the mayor.

In April 2008, city and county leaders decided to take away the local homestead tax credit--a credit homebuyers get in 2009.

The decision was made without public input.

"We can't turn back the clock, but we can handle things differently for 2010," Weinzapfel says. 

Now the mayor is asking City Council to reinstate the full credit for 2010.  But something's got to give--and the mayor says that something is city services.  He's asking the public's input on what they can do without.

"It's unfortunate now that by the time this story's come out, that we can't even make changes for the 2009 tax year and we're going to have to put up with this again for another full year," says Nick Herman, the Vanderburgh County Republican Chairman. 

Herman says he's glad the mayor is taking responsibility for what happened.  But he says recent actions make some city and county leaders difficult to trust.

"There have been lots of allegations about secret meetings, discussions.  That needs to be a public argument, that needs to be something the public has input in."

County Council will present a signed letter to City Council requesting they approve the 2010 tax credit. The city's approval will be the deciding factor on if the homestead credit is approved--it's 70 percent of the vote. If that credit is approved it will show up on your tax bill in 2011.