Column - Late to Abate, But Not Too Late

In hindsight, we really could have used more foresight.

I'm talking about the unfolding drama regarding property tax abatements for flooded-out property owners.

For those of you just tuning in, our elected local leaders have, in recent days, swiftly come around to the notion that they should provide a tax abatement to property owners whose homes and businesses were temporarily annexed by the Cedar River in June 2008. Forcing people to pay taxes on a disaster area seems excessive.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has the power to grant abatements. But that means taking millions of dollars in tax revenues away from the county, the city of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Community School District. So leaders of each are putting their heads together to come up with a plan, fast.

This is not a new issue, folks. It's been floating out there since the water receded. But people elected expressly to address issues like this one have, instead, been kicking the can down the road.

Then tax bills arrived in the mail recently. People dropped those envelopes and picked up pitchforks. And now elected officials are afraid of getting canned.

This could have been avoided if our leaders had forcefully stepped forward to tackle the issue. They had their chances.

The city and county successfully lobbied the Legislature for expanded bonding authority for public buildings and loads of financial help, but somehow property tax relief for flood victims slipped through the cracks. City and county leaders successfully asked voters for a local-option sales tax increase, but failed to carve out a slice of those dollars for abatements. Local officials crafted, approved and certified budgets apparently without considering this looming tax dilemma.

Now, in the last week, we find out that our leaders were confused by the property tax system. Join the club.

Unlike so many flood-related snafus, local officials can't blame federal bureaucracy for this one. They have themselves to blame. And there's lots of it to go around. Too bad there wasn't more leadership.

So, in hindsight, they blew it. But they still have time to get it right.

One good thing about this mess is that local governments are actually cooperating and communicating to solve a complicated problem. It's the sort of cooperation we could have used on so many other issues. Better late than never. And if they get it right, good for them.

If not, they may be thrown out on their hindsights.

 Todd Dorman's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Contact him at (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com