Council District 3 is in Washington Township and is composed of primarily two taxing districts, 800 and 801. Washington Township has been hit exceptionally hard under with implementation of new taxing methods. As a resident in taxing district 800, my property taxes rose 264%. Fortunately, my taxing situation is one of the more extreme increases in taxing district 800. The impact of this property tax crisis is much worse for the residents of taxing district 801 where the average increase in property tax bills was 93%. I have encountered many residents with much greater increases, some in excess of 300%. In all, the average resident in Washington Township is paying a staggering increase in excess of $3,300.00 more this year than last.

The magnitude of these increases will have a crippling effect on the lives of the people in Washington Township. Those on fixed incomes face unconscionable choices between food and medicine or losing their homes. Families are having to send stay-at-home parents of young children back to work, dip into retirement savings, cancel vacations, and re-evaluate education opportunities. The local economy including the restaurants and entertainment venues that make Washington Township such a great place to live and visit can expect to suffer similar losses as the discretionary income of its patrons is absorbed by taxes. These scenarios are not exaggerations; rather, real world examples from families with whom I have spoken. Without meaningful relief, Washington Township will no longer be a viable place to settle down and raise a family.

I applaud the bipartisan effort which resulted in Governor Daniels' executive order to stay the property tax bills at their 2006 level. However, we all know that this reassessment is more akin to a stay of execution than a pardon. It is becoming exceedingly clear that the reassessment merely levels the playing filed and it will have minimal impact on the bills of taxpayers. There must be proactive legislative action to deal with this impending disaster.

I am aware of the arguments circulating both publicly and privately which attribute this property tax crisis to local government spending and the failure of local government to adequately address the property tax issue. Although I have been a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council for only 6 months, I agree that local government has made some critical mistakes. The City-County Council failed to enact legislation that would have phased in the elimination of the inventory tax. Most recently, and despite my vote, the City-County Council has failed to utilize legislation designed to

provide a means for meaningful property tax relief. These are local government issues and I grow increasingly confident that voters intend on addressing those issues in November.

The truth, however, is that we all bear some responsibility in this crisis. Whether it's failing to fully address consolidation efforts, failing to aggressively pursue reconstituting local government or failing to utilize the tools you provided local officials, government at all levels has placed our citizens, my constituents, in unprecedented financial constraints.

The City-County Council's action or inaction on these issues does not, however, alleviate the pressing need for your leadership. The perils facing this community as set forth above are undeniable. Waiting for the next regular session to address the property tax problem on a going-forward basis is insufficient. Simply stated, a solution that does not provide tax relief for the pending tax bill is no solution at all.

My wife, Heather, and I have been proud residents of Washington Township for 6 years. The citizens of Washington Township are deeply vested in their community. Many of this state's leaders, from Attorney General, Steve Carter to Candidate for Governor, Jim Schellinger, call Washington Township home. These citizens routinely demonstrate their unique commitment to their community. Whether through historical preservation, cultural development, or community support for private programs such as Noble of Indiana, the people of Washington Township work to make a difference. It is not an exaggeration to say that the quality of the lives of these same people and the very fabric of their neighborhoods, whether fairly or unfairly, rest squarely within your power.

Please come together to find the solution for this year's property tax bills and build the foundation for a fair taxing system from this point forward.