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County officials warn mandated tax notice will look misleading to homeowners; mailing cannot be altered
Summary
Polk County budget staff told supervisors the state‑mandated tax notice assumes a 10% increase in assessed value and uses a rollback formula that can make tax liability appear to rise even when the county reduces its levy; officials said they cannot change the form and expect many calls after mailings go out in March.
County budget staff told the Polk County Board of Supervisors that the state‑mandated taxpayer mailing required under House File 718 will likely appear misleading to many homeowners because of how the Iowa Department of Management formula presents assessed value and rollback assumptions.
Deb Anderson, Polk County Budget and Finance Director, explained that the required notice assumes a 10% increase in assessed valuation. For jurisdictions that are not in an assessment year — Polk County’s 25‑26 tax base is not a reassessment year, Anderson said — that assumed increase can make the notice show an 11% apparent tax liability increase even when the county is reducing the levy by $0.10.
Anderson and Frank Marasco offered a simplified example for internal use showing that if a $100,000 home remained assessed at $100,000 year‑to‑year, the county’s proposed levy cut would translate to roughly a 1% increase in liability because of the residential rollback. Anderson said the statewide rollback percentage shifts the taxable portion of assessed value from about 46% to roughly 47.5%, raising the taxable share by about 2.3 percentage points and making the math look unfavorable on the mandated form.
Marasco and Anderson said they had asked whether the county could add explanatory language or a QR code to the mailing but the Iowa Department of Management prohibits altering the mandated form. Anderson said the county will produce its own explanatory materials online and expects to receive many taxpayer calls once mailings go out in late March.
Why it matters: Homeowners commonly react to the mailed example numbers. County staff said the form’s assumptions and the rollback mechanic — which is set at the state level — will likely produce confusion and calls to county offices and suggested the board prepare to field taxpayer questions.
Key details - Mandated notice form: prescribed by the Iowa Department of Management; county staff cannot alter it. - Mailing timeline: scheduled to go out in March (staff said late March and cited statutory deadlines). - Rollback effect: county staff said taxable percentage may move from about 46% to about 47.5% for the coming year, which can offset levy cuts in the mailed example.
Next steps Budget staff said they would post non‑mandated explanatory slides and a calculator on the county website and provide in‑person assistance during hearings. The county expects a high volume of calls and will staff phone and in‑person assistance during the public hearing period.
Ending note Anderson described the mandated notice as misleading for many homeowners and urged supervisors to direct staff to maintain clear online materials: “This is really misleading,” she said of the form.
