Muscatine County board approves tax abatement for 615 Mulberry Avenue

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to approve Resolution 07142501 to abate county taxes on 615 Mulberry Avenue, a property owned by the Muscatine Center for Social Action. The board took the roll-call vote after a presentation from a center representative and passed the resolution unanimously.

The request was presented by Katie Kelly, program director for the Muscatine Center for Social Action, who said she was filling in for Executive Director Emily Harvey. "We are requesting that the county abate taxes on our property at 615 Mulberry," Kelly said, and explained the nonprofit expects construction to finish in late August or September. She said the community foundation will assist in selling the renovated house back to the community as a single-family home and that it will be placed back on the county tax rolls after sale.

Why it matters: Abating county taxes lowers the carrying cost for the nonprofit while it completes renovations and markets the property for resale; the board's action finalizes county-level tax relief after earlier city-level assessments were abated.

Board discussion was brief. A supervisor asked how far along redevelopment was; Kelly replied construction is progressing quickly and should be completed by late August or September. The board clerk confirmed that city special assessments had already been abated and that the county action covers county-level taxes.

The board considered Resolution 07142501, with a motion to approve followed by a second and a roll-call vote. Supervisors voting aye were Jeff (Supervisor), Kurt (Supervisor) and Scott (Supervisor). The motion passed.

Details and next steps: Kelly said the property is located near Little Caesars and is now painted white. She said the Muscatine Center for Social Action intends the finished structure to be a single-family home that will return to the regular county tax roll after sale; she did not provide a specific resale date. The transcript indicates the city assessments were already addressed; the county abatement applies only to county taxes.

No public comment requesting changes to the resolution was recorded, and no amendments to the resolution were proposed during the meeting.

The board moved on to other business after the vote.