INDIANAPOLIS -- Lorri Rush is upset about her property tax bill increase, and she's ready to take her anger to the polls if something isn't done about it.

Rush paid $1,698 in property tax on her Decatur Township home two years ago. Last year, she paid $3,408, and this year is being told to pay $4,918 -- an increase of 188 percent from 2005.

Rush is one of many people across the state who have been distressed by rising property assessments and correlating increases in tax bills.

"We can't afford to live here," Rush told 6News' Derrik Thomas on Tuesday. "We can't afford to pay $4,900 in taxes on a house that originally had $1,600 in taxes five years ago."

Statewide, property tax bills were expected to rise an average of 24 percent this year, but increases have been much higher in parts of Marion County, whose residents are just getting their bills.

Marion County homeowners have been peppering assessors' offices with angry comments and questions. Decatur Township's assessor, Jason Holliday, said he has been busy fielding calls and talking to taxpayers in person.

Holliday said he encourages people to appeal if they believe their assessments are inaccurate. However, he said, many people will find that the reasons for the increases aren't the result of incorrect assessments.

"Where we find anger is when people look at the spending of government and the impact of the tax rate. That's where we find people are upset," Holliday said.

Thanks to a bill the Legislature passed this year, the state will give property tax rebates to payers -- an action that was expected to effectively lower the average 24 percent increase to about 9 percent. However, taxpayers must pay their bills in full and receive the rebates later -- possibly in January or February.

Rush said she intends to appeal her home's assessment. She said she also will seek to punish elected officials if she isn't satisfied.

"We need to find out who the legislators are -- find out who is responsible for the big increase, why it has happened and what we can do about it," she said.