City of Blue Grass, Iowa - Budget & Proposed Tax Levy Correspondence/Hearings

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Important Information & City Hall Hours

ORDER your FREE "at home tests" by visiting: covidtests.gov and you may also order up to 5 test kits free of charge at: https://www.testiowa.com/

City Hall hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. City Hall will open at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023 and closed during the lunch hour . We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you.

July 3rd Council meeting has been moved to July 10th due to the 4th of July Holiday at 7:00 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience - thank you.

Attention Blue Grass residents:

***RATE INCREASE TO TAKE EFFECT 07/01/23:

The City currently has a contract with Republic Services that will expire June 30, 2028 with the following set rates as follows:

July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 $14.65
July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024 $15.09
July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 $15.55
July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026 $16.01
July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 $16.49
July 1, 2027-June 30, 2028 $16.99

After speaking with Republic Services Account Representative, the City was very fortunate that they extended their contract by locking in these rates as rates are currently at $21.95 per resident in other cities, so the City has been keeping the rates at a minimum; however, we know that at renewal time we probably will not be so fortunate.

The City looked at other ways to avoid an increase such as having Republic Services prepare the monthly billing, but later found out that that was not feasible as it would cost an additional $5.95-$6.25 per resident, so the City will continue to do the billing and payments. After much discussion and public input, the Council came to the conclusion that rates would have to be increased by a $1.00 to meet the new rate that will be charged to the City July 1, 2023 of $15.09. If you have ACH (automatic payment) please make your adjustment accordingly. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact City Hall (563) 381-4700. Thank you.

***PAY AHEAD: We have had inquires where residents wish to pay ahead on their garbage/recycling bill. - Yes, you may pay for the entire year or pay for 6 months, etc. just send in your payment and your account will be credited accordingly; however, you will not receive a garbage/recycling bill until a balance is due. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call City Hall (563) 381-4700. Thank you.

***DISCONTINUE MAILING MONTHLY BILL: If you are on ACH (automatic payment): since the City only bills for garbage/recycling @ $15.00 per month - and you wish NOT to have your billed sent out each month, please call City Hall with your address and we will discontinue mailing your bill; however, if rates are ever changed, it will be your responsibility to make the appropriate adjustment to your records. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call City Hall (563) 381-4700. Thank you.

REMINDER: Garbage/Recycling pickup is 6:00 a.m. - carts must be placed curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled pickup day, carts must be placed 3 ft. apart. Thank you.

Persons attending a meeting or need assistance at City Hall that require language or physical accommodations, should notify the City of Blue Grass at least 24 hours in advance to allow time to address reasonable accommodations. Please call (563) 381-4700

Now Hiring

FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER:

The City of Blue Grass is accepting applications for a full-time Police Officer. Applicants must be Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) Certified upon applying and must provide ILEA Certificate and verification of current training requirements.

Residency requirements: must live within one-half (1/2) hour response time from City Hall and comply with the residency requirements, rules, regulations of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. Competitive salary based on experience.

A complete detailed job description and list of benefits is available at City Hall upon request. A pre-employment physical, pre-employment drug test and MMPI will be required.

Send cover letter, application and résumé to the attention of the City Clerk, in person or via email aschmidt@bluegrassia.org. Applications are also available at City Hall, 114 N. Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, Iowa and/or on the City’s website: www.bluegrassia.org.

Applications will be taken until the positions are filled.

The City of Blue Grass is an equal opportunity employer.

Full-Time Police Officer Employment Pkt.

PART-TIME PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE:

The City of Blue Grass is accepting applications for a part-time Public Works Maintenance Employee. Position consists of mowing, snow plowing, maintenance of the streets and city facilities. Some experience in grounds maintenance, or related areas preferred.

An Iowa CDL license with air brakes is not required but preferred. A pre-employment drug test is required.

Applications are available at City Hall, 114 N. Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, Iowa or online: www.bluegrassia.org.

Applications must be received at City Hall. Applications will be accepted until position(s) are filled.

The City of Blue Grass is an equal opportunity employer.

Pre-employment Drug Test: All applicants for positions with the City will be required to take a drug test prior to being hired by the City and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing after hire. Any offer of employment will clearly state that the offer is contingent on successfully completing the pre-employment drug test.

PART-TIME CROSSING GUARD:

The City of Blue Grass is accepting applications for a part-time Crossing Guard. Position consists of assisting school children across streets designated by the Chief of Police. Must receive a minimum of 4 hours instructions before performing the duties of a Crossing Guard; must be able to complete time sheets and understand instructions; must report to the Police Chief; must be able to hold a hand-held stop sign above the hand in an upright position while in the roadway; must possess the ability to work effectively with children; must assist students by recognizing natural gaps in motor vehicle patterns and safely enlarge natural traffic gaps and be able to display good judgment and respond quickly to emergencies.

Hours: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (excluding School observed Holidays and School in-service days)

Applications are available at City Hall, 114 N. Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, Iowa or online: www.bluegrassia.org.

Send application and résumé to the attention of the City Clerk, in person or via email aschmidt@bluegrassia.org. Applications are also available at City Hall, 114 N. Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, Iowa and or on the City’s website: www.bluegrassia.org.

The City of Blue Grass is an equal opportunity employer.

Pre-employment Drug Test: All applicants for positions with the City will be required to take a drug test prior to being hired by the City and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing after hire. Any offer of employment will clearly state that the offer is contingent on successfully completing the pre-employment drug test and background check.

PART-TIME POLICE OFFICER:

The City of Blue Grass is accepting applications for part-time Police Officers. Applicants must be Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) Certified upon applying and must provide ILEA Certificate and verification of current training requirements.

Competitive salary. A complete detailed job description and list of benefits is available at City Hall upon request.

A pre-employment physical, pre-employment drug test and MMPI will be required.

Applications are available at City Hall, 114 N. Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, Iowa or online: www.bluegrassia.org. Applications will be accepted until the position(s) are filled.

The City of Blue Grass is an equal opportunity employer.

Budget/Max Levy Public Hearing Notices:

Persons requiring language or physical accommodations at the meeting should notify the City of Blue Grass at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting date, allowing time to address reasonable accommodation at the meeting. Please call (563) 381-4700 for any language, accessibility, or other type of accommodation requests.

FY '24 Maximum Property Tax dollars for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024

According to Iowa SF 634 - notice concerning the proposed City Maximum Property Tax Dollars was published in the Quad City Times and posted on the City's website and social media account on February 9, 2023.

Public hearing - February 21, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. via electronically: FY '24 Max Levy Public Hearing Notice

FY '23 Maximum Property Tax dollars for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023

According to Iowa SF 634 - notice concerning the proposed City Maximum Property Tax Dollars was published in the Quad City Times and posted on the City's website and social media account on February 12, 2022.

Public hearing - February 22, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. via electronically: images/Max_Levy_FY_23_Hearing_Notice.pdf

FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2021 TO JUNE 30, 2022 CITY OF BLUE GRASS ADOPTED BUDGET

images/FY_22_City_Budget.zip

FY '22 Maximum Property Tax dollars for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022

According to Iowa SF 634 - notice concerning the proposed City Maximum Property Tax Dollars was published in the Quad City Times and posted on the City's website and social media account on February 4, 2021.

Public hearing - February 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. via electronically: Max Levy FY 22.pdf

Since there has been some confusion on tax assessments, rollbacks, etc. Here is some valuable information:

More than 20 years ago, Iowa residential property values were rising quickly and in order to help cushion the impact of high inflation, the Legislature passed an assessment limitation law called “rollback”. Each November, the Iowa Department of Revenue certifies the limitations percentages to the County Auditors who then multiply the actual (assessed) valuations by the rollback percentage to determine taxable valuations. The County Assessor determines each property’s assessed value as of January 1st – the taxable value of the property will be fixed by the following January, after a number of required steps. Among those steps is the application of a state-applied rollback percentage, which determines, by property class, how much of a property’s assessed value is taxed.

The State “rollback” – the percentage of a property’s value subject to property tax – is a major factor in computing property owner’s property tax bill. A second factor is the total value of a property as established by the County Assessor and the third factor is the tax rate set by local governments and School districts.

Local governments will take in more property tax revenue from residential property owners in the fiscal year beginning July 1st due to the Iowa Department of Revenues “rollback” determination. The July 1, 2023 residential rollback is set at 54.1302% compared to last year’s July 1, 2022 rollback of 56.4094%; whereas, a $100,000.00 home would increase by approximately $74.65 more because of the lower rollback.

How are property taxes determined?

1. The value of property is established. The Assessor (or the Iowa Department of Revenue) estimates the value of each property. This is called the "assessed value." The assessed value is to be at actual or market value for most property taxes.

2. The assessments of all taxable properties are added together.

The Assessor totals the assessed value in each classification and reports it to the County auditor.

3. The Department examines total assessed values and equalizes them. Each Assessor sends the reports, called "abstracts," to the Iowa Department of Revenue. The abstract shows the total values of all real property in each jurisdiction by classification of property, not by individual property.

A process called "equalization" is applied every two years to ensure that property values are comparable among jurisdictions and complies with Iowa code.

In addition, the "assessment limitation" is applied every year by the auditor. This process is commonly called "rollback" and is used in response to inflation. The application of the rollback results in taxable value in most cases.

4. Budgets are established. Each taxing authority determines its own budget. The budget includes the cost of providing services, the amount of aid received from the federal and state governments, the amount of money remaining from previous years, and revenue from other charges for services. Each approved budget is submitted to the County auditor.

5. A tax rate is established. The County auditor divides the amount of the budget that is not funded by other sources by the taxable value of all the property in the taxing district.

The result is referred to as "dollars per thousand." For example, If the dollars per thousand were $10, the tax on a home valued at $50,000 would be calculated at $10 x 50. The tax on that home would be $500 for that single taxing authority.

The rates for all authorities are added together, resulting in a single tax levy called a consolidated levy for each unique set of taxing districts. The consolidated levy rate is always the result of two or more tax rates established by different government entities.

6. Credits are subtracted. Credits such as the Homestead Credit are subtracted before a final tax bill is sent to the taxpayer.

Exemptions and Credits. Iowa law provides for a number of exemptions and credits, including Homestead Credit, Military Exemption and Business Property Tax Credit. It is the property owner's responsibility to apply for these as provided by law. If the property you were occupying as a homestead is sold, or if you cease to use the property as a homestead you are required to report this to the Assessor in whose jurisdiction the property is located. For properties currently receiving the Business Property Tax Credit, changes in ownership or other changes that would affect the requirements for the credit, requires reapplication for the credit.

What is Iowa property tax? The Iowa property tax is primarily a tax on "real property," which is mostly land, buildings, structures, and other improvements that are constructed on or in the land, attached to the land, or placed upon a foundation. Typical improvements include a building, house or mobile home, fences, and paving.

The following six classes of real property are evaluated:

Residential
Agricultural
Multiresidential
Commercial
Industrial

Utilities/railroad (This class is assessed at the state level)

The primary recipients of property taxes levied include:

K-12 Schools
Cities
Counties
Hospitals
Merged Area Schools
Assessors
Townships

Agricultural Extension Districts

How often is my home reassessed? The State of Iowa requires that all real estate property be reassessed every two years on the odd numbers year. At that time, studies of current market value, sales rations and economic trends of the local market will determine whether your assessment should change. If your property has any other changes, it may be reassessed more often. For example: if you build a new garage, your property will be assessed for the following year whether it is an odd number year or not.

How is my assessment calculated? At some point, an appraiser from the Assessor’s Office has or will walk through the property. Measurements and notes are taken as to the property’s condition, how many bathrooms, remodeling that may have taken place and many other details of the home relevant to market value. The data is then entered into the computer and values are calculated based upon the square footage, condition and other details found in the home. Recent sales of properties similar to your home are also reviewed.

My assessment has not changed, why have my property taxes increased? Each year, assessed values are subject to a rollback factor determined by the Director of Revenue creating a taxable value. Property tax is calculated by applying a levy rate to the taxable value. Levy rates and rollbacks change from year to year therefore adjusting the amount of property tax.

What causes property taxes to increase? Basically, three variables must interact to decrease or increase your property taxes:

The combined budgets of the taxing authorities
The total value of all the property in the taxing unit

The taxable value of your property

Your taxes increase if...

The budgets increase and the taxable value of all properties remain the same.
The budgets and taxable value of property in the entire government unit remain the same but the taxable value of the individual’s property increases.

The budgets and taxable value of the individual’s property remain the same but the value of the property in the entire government unit decreases.

Your taxes decrease if...

The budgets decrease and the taxable values of all properties remain the same.
The budgets and taxable value of property in the entire government unit remain the same but the taxable value of the individual’s property decreases.

The budgets and taxable value of the individual’s property remain the same but the taxable value of the property in the entire government unit increases.

Why might you pay higher taxes than your neighbor?

Assessed value of a house depends on land size, square footage, type of construction, age, quality, location, story height, and condition, as well as other factors. Your assessed value is one component of the property tax burden. Other components include the levy rates for the various levy authorities including City, township, County, school district, and other levying authorities. You may also be a different classification than your neighbor, as different classes have a different rollback applied to them. These differences all contribute to different tax burdens.

Credits and exemptions such as Homestead, Ag Land, and Military would also make a difference in the overall tax burden.

What is Taxable Value? Taxable value is the value determined by the County auditor after application of a rollback factor to the assessed value. Taxable value is calculated by multiplying the rollback rate for the correct property class by the equalized 100% actual value.

What factors will change my assessed value? Several factors can change the value of your assessment. Home improvements, such as building a garage, building a deck, siding/roofing, kitchen or bathroom remodeling, finishing the basement, etc., may change the assessed value of the home. Supply and demand may also change the value. If there are many homes for sale in the area similar to your home, the values may decrease because there are so many options for purchase. Similarly, if there are not many homes in the area for sale, value may be higher. Economy places a factor in the assessed value. When the economy is not at a stable point, home sales fluctuate causing assessed value to change.

How does the Assessor know if I have had home improvements on the inside of my property? The Assessor finds out these changes through building permits that are filed with the local City hall or the County.

What is the rollback value? The rollback value was set up by the State of Iowa to regulate large fluctuations in value. The rollback value is determined by the Director of Revenue and Finance each year. If the value increases more than four percent for the entire state of Iowa, the Director of Revenue and Finance will set the rollback percentage to use on the class of property. So, if you have drastic increases in one town and drastic decreases in another, the rollback value consider both.

How Does the Assessor Estimate Market Value? To estimate the market value of your property, the Assessor generally uses three approaches. The first approach is to find properties that are comparable to yours which have sold recently. Local conditions peculiar to your property are taken into consideration. The Assessor also uses sales ratio studies to determine the general level of assessment in a community, in order to adjust for local conditions. This method generally referred to as the MARKET APPROACH and usually considered the most important in determining the value of residential property. The second approach is the COST APPROACH and is an estimate of how many dollars at current labor and material prices it would take to replace your property with one similar to it. In the event improvement is not new appropriate amounts for depreciation and obsolescence would be deducted from replacement value. Value of the land then would be added to arrive to the total estimate of value. The INCOME APPROACH is the third method used if your property produces income such as an apartment or office building. In that case, your property could be valued according to its ability to produce income under prudent management; in other words, what another investor would give for a property in order to gain its income. The income approach is the most complex of the three approaches because of the research, information and analysis necessary for an accurate estimate of value. This method requires thorough knowledge of local and national financial conditions, as well as any developmental trends in the area of the subject property being appraised since errors or inaccurate information can seriously affect the final estimate of value.
The assessed (market) value of the property is determined as of January 1. The Assessor finds the market value by analyzing recent sales, but will also look at the replacement cost (the amount it would cost to rebuild the property) less depreciation. For commercial properties, recent sales are also analyzed and value may be determined by how much income the property can generate. The Assessor does not use the business income, only the income generated by the property. Assessed value should be as close to market value as possible.

Iowa Property Tax Assessment Cycle – Important Dates to remember:

January 1 - Assessment date

April 1 - Assessors complete assessments and notify taxpayers

April 2 - 25 - Taxpayers may request informal review of assessment by Assessor

On or before April 25 - Following informal review, Assessor may enter into a signed written agreement with the property owner or aggrieved taxpayer authorizing the Assessor to correct or modify the assessment according to the agreement of the parties

April 2 - 30 - Taxpayers may appeal assessments to local boards of review.

May 1 - May 31 - Local boards of review consider appeals. This time may be extended to July 15 by the Iowa Department of Revenue Director.

June 15 - Local boards of review submit reports to the Director.

July 1 - Assessors submit abstracts of the assessments to the Director.

August 15 - The Department issues tentative equalization notices to Assessors.

September - The Department holds equalization hearings, which are held for public input.

October 1 - The Department issues final equalization orders to County auditors.

October 2 - 12 - Assessing jurisdictions may apply for alternative methods of implementing equalization orders.

By October 8 - The County auditor must publish notice of the final equalization order by this date, and must provide

notice by mail to the taxpayers if the equalization order results in an increase in valuation.

October 9 - 31 - Taxpayers may protest the final equalization order to local boards of review.

October 10 - November 15 - Local boards of review meet to hear equalization protests.

November 1 - The Director certifies assessment limitation percentages to County auditors.

November 15 - Local boards of review submit a report about the equalization protests to the Department.

Dec. 1 - Feb. 28 - The taxing authorities adopt the budgets based on the valuations.

March 1 - The County board of supervisors levies the taxes.

July 1 - The County treasurer receives authorization to collect taxes.

September 30 - First half of taxes are due.

March 31 - Second half of taxes are due.

Folder Budget & Proposed Tax Levy Correspondence/Hearings

default FY 24 Max Levy Public Hearing Notice 2/21/23 at 7:00 p.m., City Council Chambers, 114 N Mississippi Street, Blue Grass, IA

Download (pdf, 121 KB)

FY 24 Max Levy Hearing Notice.pdf

spreadsheet FY 21 Max Levy Hearing Notice.xls

Download (xls, 3 MB)

FY 21 Max Levy Hearing Notice.xls

spreadsheet FY 21 City Budget.xls

Download (xls, 5 MB)

FY 21 City Budget.xls

Public Notification

Congratulations and welcome aboard Officer Eric Ward. We look forward to having you serve and protect our great community.

Mayor Schutte administered the Oath of Office to the City's new Police Officer Eric Ward.

Pictured is Mayor Schutte, Officer Eric Ward and Chief Mike Meier.

Officer Ward has over 22 years of law enforcement experience with expertise in conducting investigations and writing detailed reports, extensive knowledge of law enforcement practices, investigation techniques and security equipment operations.

Let's all give him a big Blue Grass welcome!

Welcome aboard Chief Meier and congratulations! We look forward to having you serve and protect our great community.

Mayor Brad Schutte administered the Oath of Office to newly hired Police Chief Michael Meier at Monday’s March 6, 2023 Council meeting.

Welcome aboard Chief Meier and congratulations! We look forward to having you serve and protect our great community.

Chief Michael Meier started his law enforcement career in 1992, and graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in March 1993. Chief Meier’s first full time law enforcement appointment was with the Blue Grass Police Department in April of 1993. Over the last 31 years, Chief Meier has served many positions such as a Patrol Officer; DARE Officer; School Resource Officer; Police Sergeant; Police Captain and now, the Chief of Police. Chief Meier has attended many schools and trainings throughout his career in Law Enforcement such as Staff and Command Schooling with Northwestern University and Management of Small Town Agency’s with Southern Police Institute at Louisville University not to mention many more and that is what makes him a perfect candidate for the Chief’s position. When asked, Chief Meier stated that he looks forward to being the Blue Grass Police Chief but more importantly, serving the City of Blue Grass.

(pictures: Mayor Brad Schutte administering the Oath of Office to Police Chief Mike Meier and his wife, Brenda Meier pinning on his Chief’s badge)

Please be advised that while City of Blue Grass respects the rights of its citizens to exercise their freedom of speech regarding the issue of a proposed West Scott School, the City of Blue Grass takes no official position, neither for or against the proposed school, and will not provide any official comments on this issue.

The City of Blue Grass has maintained a longstanding, warm relationship with the Blue Grass Elementary School and the Davenport Community School District. The City of Blue Grass has been and will continue to be supportive of the Blue Grass Elementary School and the decisions of the Davenport Community School Board. The City of Blue Grass hopes and expects that any decisions regarding school closures only be made after a thorough review and analysis of the factors involved and not be based solely on the statements of a group of private citizens wishing to create their own school district. The City of Blue Grass is willing to meet and engage in meaningful dialogue with the Davenport Community School Board as it moves forward with this process.