Democrats pitch 3% income tax to fund New Hampshire schools

(The Center Square) — Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte is vowing to veto a Democratic-backed proposal, unveiled on Tuesday, that would set a new state income tax to fund the state’s public schools and reduce local property taxes.

The proposal, dubbed the “3-3 Tax Savings Plan,” would charge a 3% flat income tax and a “$3.00 true statewide property tax” to drum up an estimated $1 billion a year for public schools.

“We must confront this reality: New Hampshire cannot cut property taxes in a meaningful way without fixing how we fund education. Anything else is make-believe,” Former Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky, chief architect of the plan, said in a statement.

The plan calls for a $35,000 exemption per taxpayer, a $15,000 exemption per dependent, and a $15,000 exemption for a single person or head of household.

“This plan works well for 80 percent of New Hampshire’s taxpayers,” state Rep. David Preece, D-Manchester, a primary sponsor of the bill. “Residents of Manchester do ...