INDIANAPOLIS — Becoming a homeowner is a dream for many Hoosiers.
However, some people worry that the dream will turn into a nightmare or may not even come true if property taxes don't get under control.
"It's driving people out of their homes," said Avon resident Rick Barr. "We've seen property taxes increase by 15 to 20%. I had a 12% increase in my property taxes. It went up almost $1,000 a year."
13News recently reported that some property taxes went up because the homes' assessed values rose.
But homeowners attending a rally at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday said state lawmakers need to do more to keep the costs down.
"The problem with Indiana Legislature is they're not taking this seriously and they don't seem to care. It's a real burden on the Indiana property taxpayer," Barr said.
A large portion of property taxes fund public schools, police and fire services, roads, courts and local government. But the Hoosiers in attendance said they need help, too.
"This is economic distress being put on people, especially people drawing social security living on a limited income," Barr said. "You can't plan. You can't afford to continue to pay the kind of increases we've been seeing. There needs to be some real tax relief for all people, especially for senior citizens."
Barr and others in attendance said they worry about what will happen if they don't get the relief they're looking for.
"You're never going to be comfortable because you're always going to have to worry about if you're going to have to move out of your home," said Barr.
More than a dozen bills relating to property tax relief were introduced in this year's state legislative session, but none made it to a committee vote.
When it comes to property tax bills in Marion and Madison counties, homeowners have until June 15 to appeal their home's assessed value with their county auditor.