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Resident says surprise special-assessment notice lists $173,000 for lot; city staff points to upcoming objection hearings
Summary
A Horace resident told the council he was "blindsided" by a preliminary special-assessment notice that listed a $173,000 total for his lot — three times a builder estimate — and city staff said those numbers were preliminary and residents may object at Special Assessment Commission hearings on Aug. 27–28.
A Horace resident on Monday told the City Council that a preliminary special-assessment notice he received lists a $173,000 total for his lot, a figure he said is far higher than the $62,000 estimate he relied on when buying the home.
"We did everything right," resident Tyler Kellen said at the Aug. 18 meeting. He said the assessment — which he described as roughly three times the builder's good-faith estimate — threatens his family's ability to remain in the home and that other residents in the district face similar large increases.
City staff responded during the public-comment period, saying the mailed numbers were drawn from a preliminary list compiled for the Special Assessment Commission and are not yet final. The staff member said the Commission will hold objection hearings on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 (seven improvement districts split across those dates) and that the Commission will confirm assessments after hearing public comment. If residents wish to appeal the Commission's determination to city council, they must file a written appeal after notice is published.
Kellen gave an example specific to his property, saying the lot is about "0.86 acres" and repeating that the preliminary assessment was $173,000 compared with a $62,000 estimate from Heritage Homes, his builder. He urged council to explore alternatives to the current funding approach and to align assessments with what residents were told during purchase.
The staff clarification emphasized procedure and next steps rather than the merits of any individual objection: attend the Special Assessment Commission hearing (Aug. 27 or 28) relevant to one's district, and if the Commission confirms the list, file the written appeal to bring the matter to the council. The staff member also said the city will publish notice in the newspaper after the Commission acts.
The council did not take immediate action on the assessments at the Aug. 18 meeting; staff directed residents to the upcoming Commission hearings and the written-appeal process as the next step.
