Walnut Grove city leaders discussed a draft state bill identified in the meeting as HB 744 and agreed to join other municipalities in sending a response to state officials.

Council members and staff said HB 744 closely resembles earlier legislation (referred to in the meeting as HB 581) and would limit local governments’ existing options for handling certain local tax mechanisms. The discussion compared the two bills and noted that HB 744 includes a different formula tied to inflation that would change the value calculation the state uses when assessing tax changes.

Speakers expressed concern that some provisions would remove or curtail an option previously available that local officials had used in the past (described in the meeting as a local sales-tax-related option). Several participants said that change would reduce a city’s flexibility and could shift revenue outcomes for local services and school funding.

Council members said a draft letter had been prepared for distribution to the governor’s office and that mayors from neighboring cities were coordinating to send similar communications. No formal motion to adopt the letter was recorded; the mayor said she would send the draft as discussed.

Participants also reported mixed, limited communication from state representatives: a council member said the city received the bill text before direct outreach from some legislators, and another said representatives who had encouraged support in private conversations later described the measure differently in public settings.

The council did not take a formal vote on HB 744 during the meeting. Members asked staff to continue tracking the bill and coordinate with neighboring cities on any further joint correspondence or public information the council chooses to release.

Ending

Council members said they would continue monitoring the bill and the related legislative process and would pursue coordinated outreach with nearby municipalities if further action is needed.