County engineer cautious of proposed SF 550

   County Engineer Derek Snead brought an Iowa legislative bill to the Jones County Supervisors attention concerning LOST (local option sales tax).

   What started out as SSB 1125 has now passed out of the Iowa Senate’s Ways & Means Committee. It is now SF 550, which aims to modify “local revenue and finances…,” including LOST by “crediting moneys to the national resources and outdoor recreation trust fund, and modifying allocations of road use tax fund moneys…”

   “Some of the changes that this bill is looking to do is to strike the authorization of LOST through local governments,” explained Snead. “It would essentially increase the state’s sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. It’s going to reallocate those funds. It’ll restructure how that’s divvied up.”

   Jones County counts on that revenue, that additional 1 percent, for property tax relief and construction projects through the Secondary Roads Department.

   If this bill becomes law and is signed by the governor, it could take effect in 2025.

   “Some counties don’t have LOST and that’s one of the components of why it was created to serve the entire state,” Snead said.

   SF 550 also aims to earmark a portion of LOST (three-eighths of a present) toward the natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund (IWILL, Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy).

   Sen. Carrie Koelker, who represents Jones County, served on the Senate subcommittee that passed the bill.

   “The executive board of the county engineer’s association is putting together a resolution that I’ll bring in here, our stance on that particular bill,” Snead offered to the board.

   “It seems bills are moving pretty quick,” noted Supervisor Joe Oswald of the work in Des Moines.

   Snead said it does not seem as though it’s being rushed through at all, though.

   County Auditor Whitney Hein said SF 550 goes hand-in-hand with SSB 1124, a property tax reform bill.

   “That puts a cap on the General Basic Fund,” she said.

   Hein also felt both bills are being vetted rather than rushed through.

   Supervisor Ned Rohwedder attended a conference in Des Moines recently and spoke with Koelker while on a visit at the Capitol. He said the way SF 550 is being portrayed, the counties will continue to receive the same funds they currently maintain. In fact, Rohwedder said it appeared as though counties would see a 15 percent increase in funding. He wasn’t sure if the state could continue at that proposed funding level and make it sustainable.

   “It’d be difficult for the math to work out if every county got 15 percent,” commented Snead.

   He added that if the county lost its control of LOST, that would not be a good thing.

   “It’s very beneficial for our county; we’ve done a number of projects with it,” added Assistant Engineer Todd Postel.

   He said the way it was originally set up, that money went toward bridge projects locally.

   Snead said that brought in about $1 million over the last couple of years.

   “I just wanted to make you aware,” Snead told the board. “There is no guarantee that this fund is going to continue.”

   “It’s concerning to say the least,” Postel said.

In other county business:

   • The board approved the hiring of Noah Lineburg as a full-time mechanic for Secondary Roads at $23.02 an hour.

   The need to hire was due to the current shop foreman’s resignation.

   Snead said Lineburg, of Onslow, could potentially start during the first week of April.

   • The board awarded the bid for the first phase of the County Road X-64 box culvert project to B&J Hauling & Excavation, with a bid of $513,813.93.

   • Three bids were received for the county’s pavement marking project. The bids ranged from $59,005.30 to $183,343.80. The engineer’s estimate is $134,446, which includes the cities of Monticello and Anamosa.

   The board tabled action until the engineer’s office reviews the bids.

   • The board approved an MOU with the Board of Health for the use of IT equipment and safety equipment. Public Health purchased the equipment with a grant.

   “It won’t just be used by Public Health,” noted Hein. “Other county departments can use it as well.”

   • The board approved the hiring of Mark Dlask as a part-time JETS driver at $15 an hour.