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Wapello County supervisors open hearing on 2026–27 tax levy; resident warns state funding shifts hurt schools
Summary
The Wapello County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on the proposed 2026–27 tax levy March 24; a resident praised the board’s budget work and said state-level funding shifts—including payments to private schools and privatization steps—are harming public schools. The board heard the comment, closed the hearing and adjourned without a levy vote.
The Wapello County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on the proposed 2026–27 tax levy on March 24, 2026. Vice Chair Carrie Teninty moved to open the hearing, Supervisor Bryan Ziegler seconded, the board recorded "all ayes," and the hearing proceeded; no written comments had been submitted in advance.
During the public-comment portion, Connie Hammersley-Wilson of 13594 Keb Lane, Ottumwa, praised the board’s work on the budget and urged residents to consider state-level funding choices. "We are sending hundreds of millions of dollars to private schools. These dollars are leaving our state which is strangling our public school system," she said, adding that steps toward privatizing Medicare also send money out of state. Those statements were presented as the speaker's view and were not verified at the hearing.
The board closed the public hearing after the comment; Vice Chair Teninty moved to close the hearing and Supervisor Ziegler seconded, with the board again recording "all ayes." At 9:45 a.m. the board voted to adjourn. The minutes were attested by Kelly Spurgeon, Wapello County Auditor, and signed by Chair Darren Batterson.
No formal levy vote or final levy-setting action was recorded during this meeting; the hearing provided an opportunity for public input on the proposed 2026–27 tax levy.
