For far too long, Granite Staters have suffered the consequences of their property taxes increasing year after year. Think of a young family who has done everything right, but now has to watch their starter home slip out of reach one property tax increase at a time. Think of the person who chose our beautiful state to retire, and now worries as the property taxes pile up.
These are not hypotheticals. Granite Staters are being taxed out of the homes they have worked their whole lives for — not because they stopped paying their mortgage, but because they cannot afford the property tax bill that climbs every year.
New Hampshire families have been screaming for something to be done to help relieve the property tax burden. On July 15th, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 1300, the Taxpayer Protection Act, into law. Now for the first time, every New Hampshire voter will get a direct say over how much their property taxes are allowed to grow.
State education funding is at record-high levels, and the result is the outrageous increase in taxes, displacing Granite Staters from their own homes. This is not a talking point but a reality for thousands of homeowners.
During the House debate on HB 1300, Republicans declared that something must be done. Someone must act, because voters are being taxed out of their homes. When we pointed out this fact, Democrats roared with laughter. They laughed in every Granite Stater’s face, making a mockery of those suffering from tax hikes. People can no longer afford their homes and the Democrats treated it like a punchline. Their reaction tells us everything about why this fight mattered.
Here is what critics get wrong about HB 1300: this bill does not force a cap on anyone. It does not dictate a single dollar figure to a single school district. HB 1300 simply places a question on the November ballot asking voters if they would like to limit property tax increases to inflation. Every two years, roughly 70% to 80% of Granite Staters vote in the November general election.
These voters in every city, town and ward across the state will be asked whether they want to cap their school district’s tax levy at the rate of inflation, plus growth from new construction. They’ll also be asked whether to cap central-office administrative spending — not classrooms, not special education, not transportation or school buildings, but the quietly expanding bureaucracy that has now grown far beyond its intended scope.
With a three-fifths majority, communities can adopt this protection. If circumstances change, voters can override the cap the same way they put it in place. This is not the government dictating terms to taxpayers. It is taxpayers finally holding the pen.
Granite Staters have been asking for this, not the higher taxes that Democrats prefer. Now, the people have a chance to fix it themselves at the ballot box, the way New Hampshire has always done things.
That request has been granted. HB 1300 is now law and this November that question will be on your ballot.
So here’s the plain truth for every property owner in this state: the excuses are gone. Nobody can tell you the process is too complicated or that two out of 162 districts is the best you can hope for. House Republicans acted. The governor signed it. The only step left belongs to you.
We’ve given the power to the people. Now it’s time for you to show up this November and make a change.
Representative Adam Presa, R-Merrimack, represents Hillsborough County District 12.