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Winneshiek County holds public hearing on proposed FY 2026 tax levies; county share to fall
Summary
At a public hearing April 7, Winneshiek County officials reviewed the proposed fiscal 2026 county tax levies and answered resident questions. County staff said the county portion of the levy would fall by about $0.06 per $1,000 of assessed value; a separate public hearing to review the full budget was set for April 28.
Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing April 7 to review the proposed fiscal year 2026 county tax levies and to answer resident questions about how the change would affect tax bills.
County staff said the county’s share of the total property tax bill is decreasing by roughly $0.06 per $1,000 of assessed value under the proposed levies. Speakers stressed that the county’s levy is only one part of a taxpayer’s bill: school districts, cities and multiple special taxing entities each hold separate levies that together determine a property’s final tax amount.
The board’s presentation noted that the county share typically makes up about one-third of a rural property’s tax bill and less than a quarter of a city resident’s bill; other levying authorities include school districts (the largest single share), cities, community colleges, and special districts such as rural fire and extension services. County staff also reminded residents that the county’s temporary levy used to pay for new 9-1-1 towers is scheduled to end after fiscal 2027 because the county paid the towers “as we went,” reducing the need for long-term borrowing.
Staff answered questions from several residents about how valuation changes and separate taxing-entity bonds (for example, a local school district bond) could offset or exceed the county’s levy decrease. County staff said assessor valuations are set under state rules and that the county does not yet have final valuation numbers; assessment limitations (sometimes called “rollbacks”) are typically not available until October.
After public comment, the board closed the tax-levy hearing by voice vote. The supervisors then set a second public hearing on the full FY 2026 budget for April 28 at 9:30 a.m.
The board said it will hold a separate hearing and vote on the detailed budget later this month; the levy hearing was limited to the levies themselves, as required by notice materials that had been published.
