OKLAHOMA CITY – This week, the Oklahoma House of Representatives heard a series of bills proposing major changes to how property taxes are calculated in Oklahoma. Rep. Andy Fugate, D–Del City, voted against the measures, arguing that the bills are targeting the wrong problem.
“Yesterday the House Rules Committee heard a series of bills that change how we handle property taxes in Oklahoma,” Fugate said. “It’s clear that Oklahomans are having trouble paying their property taxes, even though the conservative U.S. Tax Foundation ranks Oklahoma’s property tax burden as 11th lowest in the nation.”
Fugate emphasized that Oklahoma’s property tax structure is not new, untested, or unusually burdensome. In fact, he noted, the property tax is the only tax that must have voter approval for every levy.
“Most of Oklahoma’s property tax structures have been in place for generations,” he said. “The problem is not how we structure our property tax. The problem is the 'Stitt Economy’ is not working for anybody in Oklahoma except those in the top one percent. Some opportunists are attempting to blame the property tax system for an affordability problem created in large part by policies that favor the wealthiest.”
Fugate pointed to recent economic indicators that paint a troubling picture for working families:
- The Oklahoma State Chamber reported that over the past decade, Oklahoma ranked dead last in economic productivity in the region and bottom 10 nationally for per capita GDP.
- The State Chamber also notes that Oklahoma is the only state with no growth in advanced industry jobs over the last five years.
- At the beginning of Governor Stitt’s first term, Oklahoma ranked 38th in poverty; today, after seven years of the “Stitt Economy,” the state ranks 45th.
- Last year, the governor celebrated that Fortune 500 companies make more profit per employee in Oklahoma than in any other state, even as Oklahoma continues to have some of the lowest wages in the nation.
- Finally, Fugate noted the sky-high home insurance costs Oklahomans bear when compared to other states. Oklahomans pay hundreds of dollars more than residents of neighboring states.
“These numbers tell the real story,” Fugate said. “Oklahomans aren’t struggling because of property taxes. They’re struggling because wages are low, costs are high, and the ‘Stitt Economy’ only works for the wealthiest among us. Changing taxes that are already approved by local voters won’t fix that. Changing a failed governor’s policies will.”
Fugate said lawmakers should focus on policies that raise wages, strengthen families, and grow the middle class, rather than reshuffling long-standing tax formulas that aren’t the source of the problem. Further, attacking high insurance costs will do more in both the short- and long-term to make homes more affordable than attacking a tax system that requires voter approval.
“Oklahomans deserve an economy that works for everyone, not just the top one percent,” he said. “Until we fix that, no amount of property tax gimmicks will make life more affordable.”
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