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ISAC wrap‑up: counties press for mandate funding, property‑tax fixes and jail‑Medicaid talks
Summary
At a July webinar, ISAC leaders summarized 2024 outcomes and priorities for counties, urging the state to fund mandates, noting fee changes for vehicle titling, highlighting Medicaid reimbursement gains and reporting ongoing discussions about preserving Medicaid coverage for people housed in county jails.
Jamie Cashman, ISAC government relations manager, and Lucas Binkin, ISAC public policy specialist, gave a wide‑ranging review of 2024 legislation that affects Iowa counties and outlined priorities going into 2025. The presenters framed ISAC’s top principle as one of fiscal fairness: when the state imposes requirements on county governments, the state should look at paying for those mandates rather than shifting costs to property taxpayers.
Lucas Binkin said the message was gaining traction with legislators, and he pointed to enacted or supported items as early examples. "If the state is going to have Cross County titling, we don’t want property taxpayers in one county paying for a service for customers from another county," he said, describing recent fee modernization that aims to better align service fees with costs.
The presenters also highlighted targeted funding wins and continuing gaps. The session noted an earmark of $3,000 per county to support National Training for county veteran service officers and ISAC’s push for broader increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates, particularly for mental‑health providers, EMS and rural hospitals. ISAC reported ongoing advocacy for a federal‑waiver request through Iowa HHS to prevent people housed in county jails from losing Medicaid coverage for medical services; ISAC said a follow‑up meeting with HHS and corrections officials is scheduled for September.
On taxes, presenters summarized changes in the tax omnibus that adjust the valuation‑growth “ratchet” created by last year’s House File 718, softening abrupt reductions in levy rates by adding intermediate thresholds and adjusted divisors. ISAC emphasized that whether individual counties benefit will vary by local circumstances.
ISAC closed by directing members to a forthcoming bill summary book and announcing a process and timeline for proposing and approving the 2025 legislative package. The association encouraged counties to continue relaying local issues to ISAC staff for interim work and next‑year priorities.
