Des Moines County holds public hearing; county levy rates proposed to stay the same

Des Moines County supervisors held a public hearing on March 31 on the county's proposed property tax levies, during which county staff said the proposed levy rates would remain the same as current rates and explained the state-mandated notice mailed to property owners.

The county's staff said the notice included a hypothetical example of a 10% increase in assessed values that applied statewide; the county, they said, only saw about a 3% increase in assessed values this cycle. "We only had a 3% increase in our values," a county staff member said, adding the example can be confusing because it was created statewide rather than tailored to individual parcels.

Several residents asked why the mailed notice did not list all levying authorities. A resident noted, "Why aren't all the school levies and everything else included in this?" County staff responded that the state requires cities, schools and counties to be included on the notice and that many smaller levying authorities are not required to be listed on the front of the form.

Board discussion and staff explanation also focused on differences between urban and rural charges. A board member explained that a separate rural-services levy applies to residents outside incorporated cities to fund secondary roads, some sheriff deputy positions, library service and other county-level services. That levy, the county said, was $3.61; a separate countywide levy that funds offices such as the auditor, sheriff, recorder, treasurer and county attorney was cited at about $6.81. "If you live outside the city, you don't pay city taxes for their roads...that takes care of it," the board member said.

Fixed-income residents voiced concern about the potential tax burden. Bill Krummelmeyer, who identified himself as a retired deputy sheriff, told the board he lives on a fixed income and urged supervisors to run government within means: "I would encourage you to try and run this government on a budget that you can afford instead of coming up with new ideas to spend money that you don't have."

The board closed the public hearing by motion and approved the closure by roll-call vote. Staff encouraged residents with additional questions to request a copy of the notice or meet with staff after the meeting.

The hearing was informational and did not change the proposed levy rates; the board will proceed with required publication steps and the normal budget process ahead of final adoption.