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Supervisors discuss FY26 budget timeline and levy limits under House File 718
Summary
County staff reviewed FY25 levy and FY26 timeline changes under Iowa House File 718, explaining how valuation, rollback, and statutory changes affect revenue and scheduling for budget hearings and certification.
Black Hawk County officials reviewed the county's tax levies and the timeline and constraints imposed by House File 718 as the board prepared budget work sessions for fiscal 2026.
A county staff member summarized 2025 figures, saying the countywide levy for 2025 was $5.53 and generated $33,230,219; the rural tax levy was $3.79 and generated $3,694,180. The total county tax askings were reported as $36,924,399, an increase of about $759,000 over the prior year. The staff member described how assessed valuation rose approximately 18% while taxable value rose only about 2.59% the prior year, noting that rollback and other statutory changes affect taxable value.
The staff member explained procedural changes under House File 718 that altered the county budget calendar. County officials must now provide property-tax-rate information earlier (the transcript cites a March 5 deadline) and the auditor's office must mail notices to property owners (by March 20 in the described cycle). The county cannot hold its first hearing until after the mailed notice date. The law also introduced publication requirements that can extend scheduling because the county's legal notices are handled by an out-of-county newspaper that requires lead time to print.
Other statutory changes discussed include: the conversion of certain property-tax credits to reductions in taxable value (described in the meeting as changes to business property tax credits and the homestead exemption), and an increase in a military property valuation exemption. The staff member said the law removed the county's prior ability to exceed the $3.50 general basic levy cap (and the $3.95 general basic rural levy) in the exceptional cases previously allowed.
The presentation gave estimated effects for FY26. The county's growth for the current year was stated as 3.17%, which staff said creates a restriction that will reduce general-fund dollars by about $213,000 compared with the unrestricted scenario. Staff also calculated a working limit for the general basic levy at $3.46 under the statutory constraints and said that change produces roughly $448,455 in additional general basic levy dollars available for pay increases or other needs.
Supervisors and staff discussed scheduling for upcoming budget work sessions. Staff said five departments would present on Thursday (general assistance, veterans affairs, recorder's office, IT, and mental-health patient advocate) and that the county would aim to complete sessions without long delays despite publication and scheduling constraints. Board members raised scheduling conflicts and potential alternate dates; staff said they would coordinate availability and department readiness.
