DUNWELL: Reducing state income tax, property tax transparency are a must

Editor’s note: The following is the first of four articles detailing the points of interest and goals of local legislators representing Jasper County as they enter into the next legislative session. Iowa Legislature is currently scheduled to convene on Jan. 10, 2022.

Several issues are on the docket of Iowa State Rep. Jon Dunwell, R-Newton, as he enters his first full legislative session next year, including: improved property tax transparency, state income tax reduction, renewable energy policies, addressing workforce challenges and mental health, among others.

Representing Iowa House District 29, Dunwell was only recently elected to the position in an October special election when former representative Wes Breckenridge resigned from the seat. Dunwell previously campaigned for the district in 2020. House District 29 represents most of Jasper County.

Dunwell has already voted on a few bills and amendments for the legislature, most notably the second redistricting map that will go into place after the 2022 election cycle. Jasper County will be redistricted into two house districts and one senate district. Until then, Dunwell will serve constituents of House District 29.

The committees Dunwell serves include: local government, transportation, environmental protection and the administration and regulation appropriations.

REDUCING STATE INCOME TAX

The pursuits to reduce state income tax is partly driven by the more than $1.2 billion surplus, which Dunwell said needs to go back to the tax payers. To the Republican lawmaker, reducing state income tax is a top priority and he believes there will be legislation proposed at this upcoming session he would support.

“We’d be building upon the four different tax brackets and then doing kind of a everyone kind of experiencing a reduction in the percent they would pay in for income tax,” he said. “We’re really looking for something that’s going to be simple and quick, something that’s going to turn that billion dollars back to taxpayers.”

Something that does not raise anyone else’s taxes to get other people’s taxes lowered and perhaps removes any kind of tax city that’s about winners and losers, Dunwell added. He also believes, based on the projections he has seen, that some of those surpluses are going to continue.

“As we look at cutting taxes, we gotta keep in mind we’re going to continue to — and we have continued to do for the past 10 years — invest in education,” he said. “Republicans have over the past 10 years have out-paced inflation in terms of making sure we continue to fund our public schools correctly.”

PROPERTY TAX TRANSPARENCY

Prior to becoming a legislator, Dunwell had frequently voiced his concerns about transparency in property taxes to city councils, the county board of supervisors and school boards around Jasper County. Now he’s taking that discussion to the Iowa Legislature. Dunwell said he doesn’t have a problem with property taxes.

“But I do really believe there needs to be greater transparency in property taxes,” he said. “So truth in taxation is an important issue. That’s more of a process than it is saying, ‘We’re only going to allow state, counties, schools to do X.’ We want to continue to brainstorm ways in which we can create greater transparency.”

Thereby making sure taxpayers truly understand the connections between levies and assessments and what governing authorities do in terms of the taxes they levy upon the citizens for the services they provide, Dunwell added. Overall he wants to make the process accessible and transparent to the voter.

GIVING ETHANOL ITS FAIR SHOT

Dunwell also has a “personal goal” when it comes to the environment and Iowa’s energy policies, and he wants to make sure ethanol is part of an “all-the-above strategy.” He hopes ethanol will be treated fairly alongside other renewable energy sources, which can also strongly benefit farmers.

“We know ethanol is good for the Iowa farmer and it’s good for Jasper County,” he said. “…It’s part of what I call the ‘all-the-above strategy’ when it comes to doing what we can to protect our environment while at the same time creating even more and more energy independence.”

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Dunwell is curious how the Iowa Legislature will address the state’s workforce struggles. Looking across the job market and after talking to business leaders, workforce is a huge issue, he said, because of “demographic shifts” exasperated by the pandemic and Iowa’s growth issues.

“Workforce has got to move very much to the forefront of how we can grow our workforce,” Dunwell said. “I do think our tax policy does have an impact upon that. But I am looking forward to having some good discussions and dialogues to figure out what else we can do.”

It is not a simple issue, he added, and it’s not one that can be addressed quickly.

MENTAL HEALTH

As Dunwell continues to engage with law enforcement and other leaders in the community, he has noticed there are still holes in the mental health system that need fixed. A lot of those holes deal with people’s complex mental health issues, who may not belong in places like jail or may also suffer from other ailments.

“We still gotta figure out how to plug that hole and to make sure our law enforcement and other folks working in that area have a resource of some sort of how to deal with what we call ‘complex issues,’” Dunwell said, noting no one wants individuals in hospitals or in jail unnecessarily.

LOCAL COLLABORATION WITH IDOT

From a more hyper-local standpoint, Dunwell has been working with the Jasper County Treasurer’s Office to hopefully collaborate with the Iowa Department of Transportation to make a potential 28E agreement, which could bring in commercial driver’s licensing and address the backlog in the Des Moines area.

“(Like) offering five slots here a week that we potentially could fill, and that’s at the leadership with our treasurer Doug Bishop. He’s kind of leading that charge and has brought me in. We’re just having discussions right now with the DOT to see what that could look like,” Dunwell said.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com