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Story County holds public hearing on proposed FY26 property tax levy; county portion of levy falls
Summary
At an April 7 public hearing, county staff outlined a proposed FY26 levy that would lower Story County's general and rural portions; county staff and supervisors said the statutorily required mailed notice assumes a 10% valuation increase though Story County saw about 2.29% growth and the mailer cost the county about $17,000.
Story County Board of Supervisors on April 7 held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 property tax levy, where county staff described proposed rate changes and the statutorily required taxpayer mailing.
Lisa Markley, a county staff member, told the board that "the first step in adopting the FY26 budget is to determine the maximum allowed growth, to determine the maximum levy for the general, general supplemental and rural funds" and that the mailed notice "includes the general supplemental debt service and rural levies." She said the notice the county mailed to property owners assumes a 10% increase in valuations, while Story County actually experienced about a 2.29% valuation increase.
The proposed levy shown to the board would lower Story County's general and supplemental rate from 4.415 to 4.03 per $1,000 of assessed value and reduce the rural levy from $7.29 to $7.21 per $1,000, according to Markley. She also read figures included in the mailing for other taxing entities as presented in the notice: an Ames city levy shown at about $0.30 per $1,000 and a county assessor line shown at about $0.49 per $1,000. Markley noted other levies that appear on tax bills but not in the mailed sample — for example, a proposed county hospital levy of about $0.995 per $1,000 and an agricultural extension levy around $0.11 per $1,000 — and that township levies and fire levies for rural taxpayers are not included in the mailed notice.
Markley told the board the required mailing cost Story County about $17,000. Board members and staff discussed that the notice is constrained by state law and the county may not add language or inserts beyond what the statute requires. Markley said the sample notice compares current-year taxes and valuations with proposed figures using the statutory assumptions and that assessment notices taxpayers are now receiving reflect next year’s valuations and should not be conflated with the mailed levy notice.
Board members confirmed the board will hold a final hearing and budget adoption on April 29 at 10 a.m., when the board will adopt final FY26 budget figures and levies. No action was taken at the April 7 hearing; the board closed the public hearing and moved on to other items.
Materials that staff described as a more detailed public handout and the auditor/assistant auditor's explanatory materials will be available on the county website following the meeting, Markley said.
