(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House would ensure a politically influential evangelical Christian group that’s building a new campus near Bondurant doesn’t have to pay property taxes on the nearly 20 acre site. The Family Leader Foundation is suing Polk County officials who refused to rezone the 21 acres of farmland.
Representative Bill Gustoff, a Republican from Des Moines who is an attorney, says he’s successfully handled similar cases and the bill adds clarity to the state law that grants a property tax exemption to religious institutions and religious societies.
“County assessors are trying to determine what, on an ad hoc and a case by case basis, on what a religious society is or what a (religious) institutions is,” Gustoff said, “so you’re getting a patchwork of decisions, sometimes even within a county.”
A House subcommittee advanced the bill early this (Wednesday) morning. The Family Leader acquired the farm a few years ago and is currently renovating a large building that will be an events center. The group’s campus plan includes an office building and a prayer tower.
