Appearing on Fort Wayne’s Morning News with Kayla Blakeslee, Allen County Commissioner Ron Turpin said the structure of Indiana’s property tax system continues to produce higher bills for many homeowners, even with constitutional caps in place.

“People aren’t complaining about paying property taxes,” Turpin said. “It’s, why am I seeing my taxes go up 10% a year, 20% a year, 30% a year?”

Turpin pointed to Indiana’s constitutional amendment that limits property tax bills to 1% of assessed value for owner-occupied homes, 2% for rentals and farmland, and 3% for business property. However, he said the system remains tied to market-driven assessments, which can fluctuate significantly.

“At the core of it, they didn’t change the assessed valuation system, and that is the crux of this,” Turpin said. “What your property is assessed for, then the tax rate is applied to that.”

According to Turpin, rising home prices—driven in part by limited housing inventory—have led to higher assessed values across the board.

“We have a lack of inventory, and because there’s a lack of inventory, houses sell higher,” he said. “When a house sells higher, it affects your property value.”

Turpin said that unless the assessment system itself is addressed, property tax increases are likely to continue.

“Until we tackle that, I feel that we’re never going to really address this,” he said.

Recent legislative changes have introduced additional deductions and credits intended to provide relief over time. However, Turpin questioned whether those measures will offset continued increases in assessed values.

“The question is … if your assessed valuation keeps going up 5%, 10%, 20% a year, will those credits and deductions be enough to actually show relief?” he said. “That’s a real question.”

Turpin noted that some taxpayers have already reported minimal changes—or even increases—in their latest bills.

“I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘Wait a minute, I’m only saving $80, or I’m paying $80 more. What’s going on?’” he said.

To address ongoing questions, Turpin said he plans to host a more in-depth discussion on his weekend radio program, focusing on how property taxes are calculated and what homeowners can expect moving forward.

“We’re going to drill deep into how is assessed valuation determined, when are properties re-evaluated, what should taxpayers expect over the next several years,” Turpin said.

The program will include Allen County Assessor Stacy O’Day, who Turpin described as one of the most experienced assessors in the state.

“We’re going to get deep into the questions that you have,” Turpin said. “If you want to know why things are done a certain way, this is definitely a show you’re going to want to listen to.”

Officials say understanding how assessments are calculated—and how they change over time—remains a key factor for homeowners trying to anticipate future property tax bills.